The Prishtina Architecture Week moved into its second and busiest day yet.
It started off with exhibits, student reviews, open studio in the morning and afternoon and concluded with lectures and screening late this evening at Modelarium – FCAE Department of Architecture. The “prime time” of today`s events started with the lecture of Bujar Nrecaj from bnarchitects on his firm`s past and present projects.
The inaugural of Prishtina Architecture Week took place this afternoon to a capacity crowd at Modelarium – FCAE Department of Architecture. Ila Beka & Louise Lemoine engaged in with “Koolhaas Houselife” – a documentary from the Living Architecture Series, following after by an inspiring conversation touching on cinematographic architecture. Part of today’s event as well was the “swiss-kosovan” based practice MORKOTE, chaired by Arbnor Murati which gave an insight into their past and current workings of his practice.
Staring from July 1st through the 6th, the city of Prishtina is hosting the “Prishtina Architecture Week”, the first of its kind in Kosova in an effort of exchanging experiences, methodologies, architectural and urban experiments and theories form around the world.
Over the past few days, we have featured several entries by different practices to the competition of the Central Mosque of Prishtina. The young Albanian architecture practice X-Plan Studio, were also participants to this international competition held in January to April, by the Islamic community of Kosovo. Explore more of their competition proposal after the break…
The organizer of the Central Mosque of Prishtina competition, the Islamic Community of the Republic of Kosovo, announced that 136 freelance and companies were registered for the competition, from which 81 submitted their projects on time. Out of those who submitted, surprisingly, only a quarter were local studios. Prishtina-based architecture practice Maden Group, in collaboration with Rron Tresi arch. and Marsida Musta arch., were among the few local practices and who`s design was praised by many as “fusion of modern Islamic and European architecture in the modern-day Europe.” Featured below is the studio`s exclusive proposal for the competition.
In an article originally published on bustler.net, APTUM Architecture has shared their design proposal to the Central Mosque of Prishtina. This proposal titled MI’RAJ, offers both a change of scale and of atmosphere as compared to the surrounding architecture. More on the author’s description, read after the break.
EUROPAN is a call for projects of ideas at the urban and architectural scale, addressed to young architects under 40 years of age, which look for innovative housing solutions in different urban sites in European towns.
Following a successful first-time organization of the Europan 11 competition, Europan Kosova is participating also this year’s Europan 12 competition, among the 15 other participating countries on the theme The Adaptable City with the project site in Gjilan. For further information on the competition and participating details, read after the break.
The winners of the international design competition for the Central Mosque of Prishtina were recently announced by the organizer, the Islamic Community of the Republic of Kosova. The competition had invited freelancers from around the world to design a place of worship, a place of multidimensional functions, a landmark of Kosova.
The announced results for the CMPR design competition draws with NO first place winner!
Pictures and video images of one of the competitors of the “Peja center competition”, published by X-Plan Studio on their Facebook page.
The Venice Biennale for over a century has been one of the most prestigious cultural institutions in the world. Ever since its foundation in 1895, it has been in the avant-garde, promoting new artistic trends and organizing international events in contemporary arts.
Kosovan architecture made its debut at the 13th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. This landlocked, new European country is now among 55 nations that have presence in the largest and most prestigious architectural event in the world. The country’s pavilion design, The Filigree Maker, of the curator Përparim Rama was chosen by the Kosovo`s Ministry of Culture as an opportunity to promote the heritage and potential of the Republic of Kosovo in architecture.
Buying our own products directly affects the economic development of our state, increasing the number of jobs and improving the social well-being. Therefore to support the local producers and encourage consumption of local products, the organizers of Shpija e Kosoves Reality Show (the Kosovan version of Big Brother Show) hired the local architecture practice MADEN Group to design the Prishtina’s Glass Box, where three people would live in for a week consuming only local products.
Kosovan architecture office Pacarizi Architects has sent us their proposal of their new project Mother Theresa Museum in Prizren. More images and a quick architects description after the break.
Prizren will have the first and probably the smallest museum in after war Kosova. In front of the Prizren Catholic cathedral, just across the street Gezim Paçarizi architect is building (2009-2012) a small museum.
QYTETI IM, DËSHIRA IME, ZHGËNJMI IM, DHEMBJA IME
…Qyteti nuk është një tekst i rrallë, bile nuk është tekst fare. Do të ishte iluzioni më i keq nëse qyteti lexohet si një objekt, prandaj ai është një formë e jetës, një entitet shoqëror.
Qyteti në funksion të ndërtesës arkitektonike, apo ndërtesa arkitektonike në harmoni me qytetin? E ngrita këtë problematikë që në fillim të këtij shkrimi protestues e njëherit edhe lehtësues për ndërgjegjen time të rënduar nga pa mundësia e ndryshimit rrënjësor të praktikave të tilla që dita ditës po e degradojnë e shkatërrojnë çerdhen e jetës së lumtur sociale – Qytetin! . Më gumëzhijnë vargjet e Migjenit “Ah si se kam një grusht të fortë, ti e bie këtij malit që heshtë”, veçse unë po e përdori në një kontekst pak më ndryshe porse me të njëjtin vrull inat, dhe pezëm.
In recognition of his contributions to Kosovarian Architecture, Andrija Mutnjakovic known by Kosovar people as the “father” of the National Library in Prishtina, was recently invited by the Academy of Science and Arts of Kosova to give a lecture entitled “My architectural works in Kosova”.
“Ibrahim Rugova” square in Prishtina has finally gotten the green light, because the municipality has chosen “Allzone & ABC” consortium, as contractors of the project that will cost around 4 Million Euros.
Both companies “Allzone” and “ABC” have previous experience in road construction and the Municipality of Prishtina has considered them as successful and has trusted them the project. Mabetex was also part of the competition, but they were considered too expensive.
aut. architetur und tirol as one of Austria’s most important architecture exhibition spaces, invited bad architects group to organize “Prishtina-Connection” exhibition about the topic of “identification”, which will be held in Innsbruck Austria and it will be on display starting from March 18.
After the burning of Union Hotel, the owning company of the building started with the renovation of it. €3.2 millions will be invested to renovate the destroyed building, which received the blessing of the municipal authorities in order to preserve its old architectural style. According to the owner Tafaj 3ha, it’s planned to open a “Benetton” store, ateliers and a modern bar-restaurant.
After the break, the Arassociati Architects description and project visualization.
One of the last remaining and distinct architectural symbols of Prishtina, Hotel Union, was absorbed in fire this morning at approximately 2:00 am, causing considerable damages. All the efforts made by the Prishtina Fire Brigade to save the building which had its age working against it, were still impossible to localize the fire.
UPDATE: Added 3 more images
A new cathedral is being built in Prishtina, a cathedral which will be named on the behalf of Mother Teresa.
Earlier in 2007, the Municipality of Prishtina completed a design competition for the project of Opera House of Prishtina, and announced German studio “ARW Architekten” as the winner. The project had then an estimated cost of 20,5 million euro and created a great controversial debate in the general public, but also architects in between. One of the main accusations was that the entire project was a waste of money, especially since the winning proposal was a scandalous example of lack of creativity and quality design. An opera house should be a landmark building and an architectural inspiration to the city.
This project designed by a local studio ADesign/Bujar Demjaha, was awarded with the First Price in open Competition for the “Museum of Contemporary Arts” in Prishtina. It has an area of 15.000m2 in 5 levels and it is planned to be constructed in the city center of Prishtina, nearby National Library.
Prishtina is growing, and to hell with the consequences, even though urban planning and enforcement of building regulations have a very low priority. In order to accommodate the fast-growing population, vacant spots in the capital are being filled with apartment block in do-it-yourself architecture (concrete frames and big, red perforated masonry blocks), with space into a construction pit overnight, as happened with a bathhouse in the old Turkish area.