Cape Jala
Villas on the Albanian Riviera, by Oppenheim Architecture
Built low, along the waterline
Stone houses set into the maquis, between the hills of Jalë and open Ionian water.
A headland of rock and maquis
Cape Jala is a low, rocky point on the bay of Jalë. Today it is limestone, scrub and clear water. The plan keeps that character: buildings stay low, roofs are planted, and the shoreline is left as rock.
From Gjipe to Livadi
The cape sits midway along the bay, with Gjipe beach to the west and Livadi to the east. Jale beach and Aquarium beach are on either side of it.
The Jalë masterplan
A new marina and arrival court at the neck of the cape. From there the Spine runs past the small villa cluster to the beach club, the hotel and lighthouse, and on to the coastal and hillside villas. A citadel is planned for the headland to the north.
The Spine
A private road leaves the main road at the gate, passes the drop-off and the small-villa parking, and continues to the coastal villas. Branches lead up to the hill villas and out to the cape peninsula.
Welcome plaza
You arrive on foot. A stone court first, then an arched hall that frames the first view of the sea.
Boutique villas
Twenty-one small villas stand either side of the Spine, in two types. Each has a planted roof, its own pool and a terrace facing the water.
- North cluster
- SVN.01 to SVN.10
- South cluster
- SVS.01 to SVS.11
- Typologies
- Type 1 and Type 2
Boutique villa south, from above
Planted roofs, stone courts and a pool to every house.
From the garden
Stacked stone volumes, kept below the line of the trees.
At the pool
A pergola for shade, and the sea over the wall.
Boutique villa north, from above
Longer pools and deeper terraces, stepped down the slope.
Inside, looking out
Timber screens fold back and the living room runs straight onto the terrace.
Village beach club
Terraces step down from a stone arcade to a long pool at the water's edge, with a jetty for arriving by boat. Timber and reed pergolas shade the dining deck.
Elite villas
Six larger villas stand on the rock shelf directly above the water, with coastal platforms below them for swimming.
- Elite Villa
- ELV.01 to ELV.04
- Elite Villa Small
- ELVS.01 and ELVS.02
On the rock, at the water
Arched stone rooms below, a long terrace above, and steps down to the sea.
From overhead
Tiled roofs, a pool cut into the terrace, and untouched rock between house and sea.
The hillside
Above the coast road the hill villas stand apart on the slope, reached by drives that climb from the Spine.
Hill villa ELVH.03
One roof plane over glass, and a pool that runs to the edge of the slope.
The terrace
Shade, stone and a lap pool pointed at the horizon.
