After the fall of communism in Tirana, a slapdash approach to city expansion came about and things were built but not fixed.
Unconventional mayor Edi Rama gave the place a facelift, repairing roads and sewage systems but also employing artists to give the place a lick of paint.
These are the results, as his legacy is everywhere. This is a fairly conventional tower block in Tirana.
Artists went wavy with the stripes on this one.
Geometric shapes with added to this one.
These poles look like marshmallow sweets.
This one looks like a paint colour chart.
And this one is covered in pants! Amongst other things…
Not to mention the Tirana pyramid, this was taken when Bush was in power…
This is the main park area, where many Albanians spent the evening.
Cafe culture is strong in Tirana.
There are many more painted buildings, if you look around side streets.
The main boulevard is a bright parade which you may love or loathe, but it is certainly different.