- University of Sarajevo, School of Architecture, Department Memberadd
- Architecture, Green architecture, Sustainable Architecture, History of Art, Cultural Heritage, Architectural Heritage, and 24 moreVisual Arts, Creative Writing, Contemporary Poetry, Literature, Gender Studies, Art History, History, Philosophy and Sociology of Human/animal Relations, Landscape Design, History of the Designed Landscape, Environmental Ethics, Enviromental Aesthetics, Landscape Theory, Cultural Landscapes, Public Art, Building Conservation, Revitalization, Rehabilitation, Historic cities, Philosophy, Critical Theory, Eastern European Studies, - Architecture history, and Communism and national questionedit
"Architectural heritage of Yugoslav-socialist character: ideology, memory and identity" studies the ability of architecture to represent political and cultural endeavors and developments in the period from 1945 until 1990 in territories... more
"Architectural heritage of Yugoslav-socialist character: ideology, memory and identity" studies the ability of architecture to represent political and cultural endeavors and developments in the period from 1945 until 1990 in territories which formed the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. The thesis is divided into two parts: the first part analyzes how architecture, as a discourse per se and an ideological apparatus, was used for representation of Yugoslav socialist identity. The second part studies how the deconstruction of given identity, and its consequent dismissal in the process of re-construction of national identities has influenced the level of preservation of heritage of representative character found in territories which previously formed the SFRY. The hypothesis upon which the research is built, stating that the architectural significance of heritage of representative nature built in the socialist period and found in Yugoslav successor countries is dependent on (the assessment of) its cultural, social and historical character, has emerged from the perception of the second part of the problem. However, the larger part of the thesis is devoted to the study of how circumstances in SFRY influenced the character of following three categories of buildings and spaces: I) Governmental buildings and buildings of the League of Communist of Yugoslavia II) Institutions of educational-ideological character and memorial centers III) Memorials and memorial sites. With an objective to analyze how political and social occurrences in the SFRY in the period 1945-1990 influenced the processes of construction of above-listed representative buildings and spaces, the study approaches several important moments in development of architectural discourse in socialist Yugoslavia, such as: the appearance of modernist architecture in the Interwar period; the discussion on the socialist realist style; the influence of the political conflict between Tito and Stalin on architectural developments; architectural developments during the "Informbiro Period"; initiation of grandiose projects of representative character in the period 1956-1965; an impulse in erection of buildings and spaces of educational-ideological and cultural-memorial character in between 1966 and 1974; the appearance of the postmodernism; and finally the course of architectural developments after Josip Broz Tito's death in 1981 till the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1990. The second part of the thesis researches how and why architectural works of representative character built in between 1945 and 1990 are neglected in the present. The objective of a critical and hermeneutical study is to perceive how the process of re-construction of national, cultural identities in the states reconstructed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia has influenced on the negative perception of the given architecture. The architectural works presented in the first chapter now are perceived as architectural heritage and analyzed as a cultural legacy of the uncomfortable nature. The discomfort towards the heritage built in the socialist period is approached through the study of the process of (re)interpretation of cultural memory. The analysis is conducted with the objective to perceive how the transformation in "collective frameworks of memory" has influenced "collective memory" of those societies and consequently the condition of architectural heritage of representative character found in the given territories. The research comes to an end with an insight into the level of preservation and state of condition of the representative heritage of Yugoslav-socialist character and concludes with recommendations for the improvement of protection mechanisms and suggestions on the modalities for its architectural and cultural revitalization.
Research Interests: Yugoslavia, Cultural Identity, Architecture and ideology, Modern Architecture, Former Yugoslavia, and 12 moreHistory and Theory of Modern Architecture, Architecture and Memory, History and Theory of Modern Architecture, Restoration and Heritage Conservation, Heritage Rehabilitation, Modern Heritage, Architecture and Identity, Socialist Architecture, History of Architecture and Cultural Heritage Protection Policies and Management, Heritage Revitalization, Yugoslavian architecture, Modern architecture in Yugoslavia, and Socialist Heritage
"Architectural heritage of Yugoslav-socialist character: ideology, memory and identity" studies the ability of architecture to represent political and cultural endeavors and developments in the period from 1945 until 1990 in... more
"Architectural heritage of Yugoslav-socialist character: ideology, memory and identity" studies the ability of architecture to represent political and cultural endeavors and developments in the period from 1945 until 1990 in territories which formed the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia. The thesis is divided into two parts: the first part analyzes how architecture, as a discourse per se and an ideological apparatus, was used for representation of Yugoslav socialist identity. The second part studies how the deconstruction of given identity, and its consequent dismissal in the process of re-construction of national identities has influenced the level of preservation of heritage of representative character found in territories which previously formed the SFRY. The hypothesis upon which the research is built, stating that the architectural significance of heritage of representative nature built in the socialist period and found in Yugoslav successor countries is dependent on (the assessment of) its cultural, social and historical character, has emerged from the perception of the second part of the problem. However, the larger part of the thesis is devoted to the study of how circumstances in SFRY influenced the character of following three categories of buildings and spaces: I) Governmental buildings and buildings of the League of Communist of Yugoslavia II) Institutions of educational-ideological character and memorial centers III) Memorials and memorial sites. With an objective to analyze how political and social occurrences in the SFRY in the period 1945-1990 influenced the processes of construction of above-listed representative buildings and spaces, the study approaches several important moments in development of architectural discourse in socialist Yugoslavia, such as: the appearance of modernist architecture in the Interwar period; the discussion on the socialist realist style; the influence of the political conflict between Tito and Stalin on architectural developments; architectural developments during the "Informbiro Period"; initiation of grandiose projects of representative character in the period 1956-1965; an impulse in erection of buildings and spaces of educational-ideological and cultural-memorial character in between 1966 and 1974; the appearance of the postmodernism; and finally the course of architectural developments after Josip Broz Tito's death in 1981 till the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1990. The second part of the thesis researches how and why architectural works of representative character built in between 1945 and 1990 are neglected in the present. The objective of a critical and hermeneutical study is to perceive how the process of re-construction of national, cultural identities in the states reconstructed after the dissolution of Yugoslavia has influenced on the negative perception of the given architecture. The architectural works presented in the first chapter now are perceived as architectural heritage and analyzed as a cultural legacy of the uncomfortable nature. The discomfort towards the heritage built in the socialist period is approached through the study of the process of (re)interpretation of cultural memory. The analysis is conducted with the objective to perceive how the transformation in "collective frameworks of memory" has influenced "collective memory" of those societies and consequently the condition of architectural heritage of representative character found in the given territories. The research comes to an end with an insight into the level of preservation and state of condition of the representative heritage of Yugoslav-socialist character and concludes with recommendations for the improvement of protection mechanisms and suggestions on the modalities for its architectural and cultural revitalization.
Research Interests: Political Science, Cultural Identity, Architecture and ideology, Modern Architecture, Former Yugoslavia, and 15 moreHistory and Theory of Modern Architecture, Architecture and Memory, PhD dissertation, Doctoral thesis, Heritage Rehabilitation, Modern Heritage, Architecture and Identity, Cultural Centers, History of Architecture and Cultural Heritage Protection Policies and Management, Institutional Architecture, Heritage Revitalization, Architectural Revitalisation, Architectural Rehabilitation, Memorials and Architecture, and Modern architecture in Yugoslavia
Specific political and social conditions which characterized certain societies of Central and Eastern Europe after the Second World War conditioned the identity of architectural heritage built in the period 1945–1990 in these territories.... more
Specific political and social conditions which characterized certain societies of Central and Eastern Europe after the Second World War conditioned the identity of architectural heritage built in the period 1945–1990 in these territories. Since architecture tends to reflect life principles of a certain society at a given moment
in its history, the ideology of socialism, which defined not just political and economic
sphere, but moreover tended to organize everyday lifestyle on certain ideas, became
somewhat reflected in the programme of architecture practiced in these societies.
This ‘ideological’ character of architecture prejudices valorization of an architectural
work when it is approached as heritage.
For that reason, modern and eventually postmodern heritage found in countries
such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, a territory which from 1945 until 1990 was a part of the socialist Yugoslavia, becomes judged because of its historical character. Consequently, the jeopardy to cultural character of a certain asset becomes the main criteria when Bosnian and Herzegovinian heritage protection authorities approach the protection of heritage in question. This reflects the data that majority of enlisted assets are those of memorial nature. However, besides disabling proper evaluation of achievements in the domain of architecture at a given period, such an approach furthermore prejudices the public perception of architecture in question.
Therefore, the aim of the paper is to point out benefits of expanding the range of
types and categories of works with the potential of being classified as heritage, while
advocating a creative approach on evaluation, interpretation and eventual revitalization of such works in order to recover their social wholesomeness and cultural prominence.
in its history, the ideology of socialism, which defined not just political and economic
sphere, but moreover tended to organize everyday lifestyle on certain ideas, became
somewhat reflected in the programme of architecture practiced in these societies.
This ‘ideological’ character of architecture prejudices valorization of an architectural
work when it is approached as heritage.
For that reason, modern and eventually postmodern heritage found in countries
such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, a territory which from 1945 until 1990 was a part of the socialist Yugoslavia, becomes judged because of its historical character. Consequently, the jeopardy to cultural character of a certain asset becomes the main criteria when Bosnian and Herzegovinian heritage protection authorities approach the protection of heritage in question. This reflects the data that majority of enlisted assets are those of memorial nature. However, besides disabling proper evaluation of achievements in the domain of architecture at a given period, such an approach furthermore prejudices the public perception of architecture in question.
Therefore, the aim of the paper is to point out benefits of expanding the range of
types and categories of works with the potential of being classified as heritage, while
advocating a creative approach on evaluation, interpretation and eventual revitalization of such works in order to recover their social wholesomeness and cultural prominence.
Research Interests:
In the past two decades, the cultural and social appearance of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been reshaped by transitional processes. Multi-faceted repercussions of the shift from the centralized to the neo-liberal economy have... more
In the past two decades, the cultural and social appearance of cities in
Bosnia and Herzegovina have been reshaped by transitional processes. Multi-faceted repercussions of the shift from the centralized to the neo-liberal economy have been most palpably and forcefully manifested in the public domain. This study starts with the assumption that, in today’s complex social circumstances, the attitude to the architectural heritage of the 20th century is manifested predominantly through two dichotomous tendencies. This paper focuses on the analysis of the character of those in-changing circumstances in the region of capital city Sarajevo in order to articulate the main issues and problems which occur in the process of protection of the 20th century heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina altogether. The selected method is based on the comparison of social and spatial influences manifested in three different types of spatial levels in the public domain: street, public building and landscape.
Bosnia and Herzegovina have been reshaped by transitional processes. Multi-faceted repercussions of the shift from the centralized to the neo-liberal economy have been most palpably and forcefully manifested in the public domain. This study starts with the assumption that, in today’s complex social circumstances, the attitude to the architectural heritage of the 20th century is manifested predominantly through two dichotomous tendencies. This paper focuses on the analysis of the character of those in-changing circumstances in the region of capital city Sarajevo in order to articulate the main issues and problems which occur in the process of protection of the 20th century heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina altogether. The selected method is based on the comparison of social and spatial influences manifested in three different types of spatial levels in the public domain: street, public building and landscape.
Research Interests:
The interpretation of architectural work has a particular significance when the work itself is endangered and in the need for a protection and revitalization. Different theoretical premises for interpretation of architectural work are... more
The interpretation of architectural work has a particular significance when the work itself is endangered and in the need for a protection and revitalization. Different theoretical premises for interpretation of architectural work are formulated in relation to different perceptions on the cultural character and identity of the society in determined historical and political moment. Therefore, a various cultural positions upon valorization of heritage’s significance transform into different approaches on architectural heritage revitalization. This way the cultural contextualization of architectural heritage ultimately influences the selection of adequate technical methods and constructive techniques for its revitalization which consequently can result in alteration of the character of revitalized heritage, or in the other hand, alteration of heritage’s role within the society.
The first question approached in the paper investigates a development of theoretical positions on re-interpretation of heritage’s values and features in the process of its revitalization. Here, case studies on revitalization of several iconic buildings of architectural heritage in the second half of the twentieth century in Sarajevo and Barcelona enable to perceive how the practice on heritage revitalization operates upon three concepts: the conservational, the interventionist and the symbolist (negativist) approach. The acceptance of disparate values of heritage is the main substance that differentiates one approach from another. The conservational approach departs from the premise that heritage’s value and thus its architectural authenticity are inflexible categories, frozen in time, caught in space, and therefore non-subjected to cultural and architectural (re)interpretations, while the symbolic approach by completely relying on intangible values of heritage and endeavoring to merely preserve symbolical significance the property together with overall proficiencies of architecture as technique and profession is in stark contrast to the first approach. In the same time, the interventionist approach strives to give same importance to tangible and intangible values of the heritage, and thus it endorses creative interpretation of legacy in revitalization in order to enable appreciation the cultural perception of heritage as a dynamic category.
The insight into different case studies of revitalized architectural heritage provides a tool to question the dynamics of change of property’s architectural and cultural character, its re-layering and restructuring. The investigation presented in this paper follows from a comprehensive master study which investigated the process of revitalization of the several iconic buildings in Sarajevo and Barcelona that due to damage or degradation in the course (second half) of the 20th century were revitalized. because it was evaluated that they are of importance in architectural and cultural terms for Bosnian and Catalan societies. The findings of the research however are summarized and for the purposes of this paper described by three sets of examples: The Sarajevo City Hall and the Barcelona Grand Theatre Liceu, the Barcelona Santa Catarina Market and the Parliament and Council of Ministers building in Sarajevo and the White Sherefudin’s Mosque (Visoko).
The investigation of given case studies is presented through analysis of the process of revitalization in terms of interpretation of their architectural features, that is design, material, technological and structural singularities in relation to their social significance. The objective of the analysis is to enable to establish paradigms on semiotic understanding of cultural identity in correlation to architectural heritage. This how the investigation on revitalization of heritage in question reveals to be a possible tool for analysis of cultural, political, economic and social positions within the (two) societies which in the investigated period have passed through process of national and cultural self-redefinition and re-interpretation. In this way the insight in the processes of construction, interpretation, valorization and finally revitalization of selected case studies permits observing the changes of perspectives within Catalan and Bosnian-Herzegovinian cultural identities, since the presented examples in the course of the 20th century have been used as iconological representatives of their national characters. The various interpretations of architectural heritage in those two different cultural backgrounds thus has led to establishment of a general concept on cultural perception and subservience of architectural heritage in accordance with needs of ideological (national, cultural, ethnic) agendas. From this arises a second problem approached in the paper: In what way and how a different social viewpoints, movements and trends of internal cultural self-perception within the society are perceivable on revitalized material artifacts? Approaching this question could facilitate establishing common ground for the improvement of processes of heritage revitalization.
Finally, the aim of the investigation was to anticipate the dangers of partial analysis of artistic features of architectural work and one-sided understanding of heritage’s cultural properties, and thus confirm the need for the complex and interdisciplinary approach to build heritage. At the moment when contemporary society balances between the urge to pursue further technological progress and the need for recovery of primeval spiritual connection with the world, the profession on protection and revitalization of architectural heritage faces the challenge to preserve the image of the world while allowing it to continue to change. Therefore, this paper advocates the comprehensive interpretation of a constructed imaginary as the only possible way for preservation of creative potential contained in architectural legacy of past generations.
The first question approached in the paper investigates a development of theoretical positions on re-interpretation of heritage’s values and features in the process of its revitalization. Here, case studies on revitalization of several iconic buildings of architectural heritage in the second half of the twentieth century in Sarajevo and Barcelona enable to perceive how the practice on heritage revitalization operates upon three concepts: the conservational, the interventionist and the symbolist (negativist) approach. The acceptance of disparate values of heritage is the main substance that differentiates one approach from another. The conservational approach departs from the premise that heritage’s value and thus its architectural authenticity are inflexible categories, frozen in time, caught in space, and therefore non-subjected to cultural and architectural (re)interpretations, while the symbolic approach by completely relying on intangible values of heritage and endeavoring to merely preserve symbolical significance the property together with overall proficiencies of architecture as technique and profession is in stark contrast to the first approach. In the same time, the interventionist approach strives to give same importance to tangible and intangible values of the heritage, and thus it endorses creative interpretation of legacy in revitalization in order to enable appreciation the cultural perception of heritage as a dynamic category.
The insight into different case studies of revitalized architectural heritage provides a tool to question the dynamics of change of property’s architectural and cultural character, its re-layering and restructuring. The investigation presented in this paper follows from a comprehensive master study which investigated the process of revitalization of the several iconic buildings in Sarajevo and Barcelona that due to damage or degradation in the course (second half) of the 20th century were revitalized. because it was evaluated that they are of importance in architectural and cultural terms for Bosnian and Catalan societies. The findings of the research however are summarized and for the purposes of this paper described by three sets of examples: The Sarajevo City Hall and the Barcelona Grand Theatre Liceu, the Barcelona Santa Catarina Market and the Parliament and Council of Ministers building in Sarajevo and the White Sherefudin’s Mosque (Visoko).
The investigation of given case studies is presented through analysis of the process of revitalization in terms of interpretation of their architectural features, that is design, material, technological and structural singularities in relation to their social significance. The objective of the analysis is to enable to establish paradigms on semiotic understanding of cultural identity in correlation to architectural heritage. This how the investigation on revitalization of heritage in question reveals to be a possible tool for analysis of cultural, political, economic and social positions within the (two) societies which in the investigated period have passed through process of national and cultural self-redefinition and re-interpretation. In this way the insight in the processes of construction, interpretation, valorization and finally revitalization of selected case studies permits observing the changes of perspectives within Catalan and Bosnian-Herzegovinian cultural identities, since the presented examples in the course of the 20th century have been used as iconological representatives of their national characters. The various interpretations of architectural heritage in those two different cultural backgrounds thus has led to establishment of a general concept on cultural perception and subservience of architectural heritage in accordance with needs of ideological (national, cultural, ethnic) agendas. From this arises a second problem approached in the paper: In what way and how a different social viewpoints, movements and trends of internal cultural self-perception within the society are perceivable on revitalized material artifacts? Approaching this question could facilitate establishing common ground for the improvement of processes of heritage revitalization.
Finally, the aim of the investigation was to anticipate the dangers of partial analysis of artistic features of architectural work and one-sided understanding of heritage’s cultural properties, and thus confirm the need for the complex and interdisciplinary approach to build heritage. At the moment when contemporary society balances between the urge to pursue further technological progress and the need for recovery of primeval spiritual connection with the world, the profession on protection and revitalization of architectural heritage faces the challenge to preserve the image of the world while allowing it to continue to change. Therefore, this paper advocates the comprehensive interpretation of a constructed imaginary as the only possible way for preservation of creative potential contained in architectural legacy of past generations.
Research Interests: Architecture, Cultural Heritage, Architectural History, Cultural Identity, Architectural Theory, and 7 moreInterpretation, Architectural Heritage, Barcelona, Architectural Restoration and Heritage Conservation, Urban Rehabilitation and Revitalization of Historic Centers, Sarajevo, and Revitalization
This paper focuses on the attitude of contemporary, post-war architectural practices in Bosna and Herzegovina towards the values of modern and postmodern architectural legacy from the socialist period. The features of this legacy are... more
This paper focuses on the attitude of contemporary, post-war architectural practices in Bosna and Herzegovina towards the values of modern and postmodern architectural legacy from the socialist period. The features of this legacy are evauated and viewed through the correlation of three trends that can be observed n the contemporary architectural discourse in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the language of „pure“ postmodernism, the neo-historical or neo-eclectic tendencies, and the approach that follows the guidelines of critical regionalism. The way in which contemporary architectural discourses and the socialist legacy come into interaction has been viewed here with regard to the effords invested in the reconstruction of Bosnian and Herzegovinian cultural identity, while seeking to identify the link between the changes on the political/economic and social/cultural levels that resulted from the transition from the socialist society into the postsocialist or capitalist on, and the changes in the direction of post-war architectural discourse.
Research Interests:
The object of this paper is to analyze social and cultural circumstances in the past and the present which led to the construction of the Partisan Cemetery in Mostar and the Memorial Park Vraca in Sarajevo, such as those which have led... more
The object of this paper is to analyze social and cultural circumstances in the past and the present which led to the construction of the Partisan Cemetery in Mostar and the Memorial Park Vraca in Sarajevo, such as those which have led to the degradation and neglect of their value, in order to suggest the possible approaches on their protection and reconstruction.
The main question to be investigated is: What to do with the place of memories when memories which it preserves enter in the ideological and existential crisis, i.e. when the symbolism of the space dyes?
The answer on that question regarding those two places is above all complicated, complex and the intention of the paper is to approach them from different levels, such as political, social, historical and architectural one.
The main question to be investigated is: What to do with the place of memories when memories which it preserves enter in the ideological and existential crisis, i.e. when the symbolism of the space dyes?
The answer on that question regarding those two places is above all complicated, complex and the intention of the paper is to approach them from different levels, such as political, social, historical and architectural one.
The importance of architectural heritage lies in its artistic, architectural and spatial features, as well as its historical and cultural significance, and its valorization as a national asset can be observed from different points of... more
The importance of architectural heritage lies in its artistic, architectural and spatial features, as well as its historical and cultural significance, and its valorization as a national asset can be observed from different points of view. However, when the social and cultural context to which such heritage belongs is transformed, and its former shape perceived as uncomfortable due to the present social tendencies, non-architectural considerations can greatly influence heritage valorization, and in some cases take precedence over the esthetic, formal, and technical features of the buildings in question.
Architectural heritage from the socialist period in Bosnia and Herzegovina is now facing this challenge. The social and cultural context in which it emerged has influenced its features in the past, but it is also affecting the assessment of its importance now. The buildings and ensembles from this period listed by the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments have a pronounced cultural and historical character that is now put in danger by the new social circumstances, and this ultimately created the need to list and protect them. In contrast to this, there are artifacts of great architectural significance that are not recognized as heritage, because they are perceived as architectural assets, but not as cultural property. At the same time, the modernity of these buildings, their international character, and their separation from the genius loci and the local tradition, renders their acceptance as local, national heritage quite difficult under the present circumstances. As a result, they are seen as “undesirable”, and have been neglected and degraded.
This leads to the questions that this paper is trying to answer: is it possible to preserve the importance of heritage in a society that perceives its cultural, symbolic, and ideological character as uncomfortable? If so, how might this be achieved? How can we appropriate a modern, global, cosmopolitan, and multicultural architectural language and claim it as our own, as part of our tradition?
Architectural heritage from the socialist period in Bosnia and Herzegovina is now facing this challenge. The social and cultural context in which it emerged has influenced its features in the past, but it is also affecting the assessment of its importance now. The buildings and ensembles from this period listed by the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments have a pronounced cultural and historical character that is now put in danger by the new social circumstances, and this ultimately created the need to list and protect them. In contrast to this, there are artifacts of great architectural significance that are not recognized as heritage, because they are perceived as architectural assets, but not as cultural property. At the same time, the modernity of these buildings, their international character, and their separation from the genius loci and the local tradition, renders their acceptance as local, national heritage quite difficult under the present circumstances. As a result, they are seen as “undesirable”, and have been neglected and degraded.
This leads to the questions that this paper is trying to answer: is it possible to preserve the importance of heritage in a society that perceives its cultural, symbolic, and ideological character as uncomfortable? If so, how might this be achieved? How can we appropriate a modern, global, cosmopolitan, and multicultural architectural language and claim it as our own, as part of our tradition?