Gezim Pacarizi / KAF at the London Festival of Architecture

Gezim Pacarizi / KAF at the London Festival of Architecture

     The Kosovo Architecture Foundation and its director Bekim Ramku were honored few months ago by British Council to nominate a project from Kosovo for the Atlas of the Unbuilt World exhibition held from the 7th till the 27th of July.  The exhibition which is part of one of the biggest architecture events in the world the London Festival of Architecture aims to showcase architectural models of future projects from around the world by some of the most exciting practices and emerging studios working today. The 60 projects from 40 countries where nominated by international experts including architects, academics, writers and cultural institutes. 

A house in Prizren by the architect Gezim Pacarizi was chosen to represent Kosovo at this exhibition. The concept, functionality and the use of raw materials were strong reasons to nominate this building and architect. This was also the fist time Kosovo was represented at the London Festival of Architecture. "Building with local material and using local labour doesnt mean poor architecture. The surrounding built environment of the area is generally unplanned and informal, buildings are erected quickly and a lack of cohesive design in the architecture is creating a place without identity. The house is unusual in its environment, yet it integrates well, inviting order and poetry in the middle of the surrounding urban chaos" is how the architect Gezim Pacarizi describes his design. 

For more information on the exhibition visit Bartlett School and the British Council "Back to the Envelope". 

PAW thanks you

Dear friends,

On behalf of myself, Noli, Shpend and the whole PAW team I would like to thank more than 2000 visitors and participants that made this year's Prishtina Architecture Week that more special. We would also like to thank all of the individuals and organizations without whom this event wouldn't have happened: Winy Mass, Jan Knikker, Marta Pozo Gil, MVRDV, Murat Tabanlioglu, Enric Ruiz Geli, Juan Carlos Avila, Cloud9, Asa Bruno, Ron Arad Architects, Bostjan Vuga, Sadar+Vuga, Aaron Levy, Eriola Pira, Bruno Campos, BCMF Arquitetos, Anne Guiney, IfUD, Ila Beka, Louise Lemoine, Living Architectures, Pippo Ciorra, Maxxi Architettura, US Embassy in Prishtina, Paul F Engelstad, Aferdita Krasniqi, Culture for All, the European Commission in Kosovo, Samuel Zbogar, Lila Skarveli, Eduard Berisha, British Council, Niamh Tuft, Vicky Richardson, Lauren McKirdy, Arjeta Emra, the Prishtina Municipality, Vlora Dumoshi, Valbona Shujaku, Petrit Selimi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French Embassy in Prishtina, Isabelle Cambarnous, Alban Uka, Paradiso, Marazzi, Besa Muharremi, Ilir Gjinolli, Urban+, Perparim Rama, 4MGroup, Bujar Nrecaj, Astrit Nixha, ANARCH, Lulzim Kabashi, Ivanisin Kabashi, Jetlir Dermaku, Bledian Salihu, Anita Musa, Flaka Sokoli, Rrustem Brahimi, Bora Kelmendi, Gojart Shatri, Yllke Kosumi, Qendresa Termkolli, Teuta Jashari Kajtazi, Rozafa Basha, Petrit Ahmeti, Freskim Sylejmani, Arta Selimi, , Sali Shoshi, Migjen Berisha, Gea Demiraj, CHwB, Lego, Albanor Krasniqi, Leart Mullaademi, the Danish KFOR, Kaltrina Drancolli, Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, ArchiEdu, Gezim Radoniqi, Swiss Diamond Hotel Prishtina, Mabetex, Visar Salihu, Ishaku Maitumbi, UN-Habitat in Kosovo, Elnor, Mentor Pacarada, Frakton, Agon Qeta, Project Graphics, Zhermin Derguri, Zhaki Advertising and Bizzaro.

Thank you again and see you next year,

Bekim Ramku & the PAW Team

PAW

Prishtina Architecture Week

1-6 July 2013

The Future Model!

PAW program will be published very soon, stay informed with the latest updates on prishtinaarchitectureweek.com our facebook and twitter accounts. Lectures, Workshops, Tours, Exhibitions, Interventions...

Enric Ruiz-Geli, Bostjan Vuga, Asa Bruno, Anne Guinney, Ila Beka & Louise Lemoine, Murat Tabanlioglu, Lulzim Kabashi & Krunoslav Ivanishin, Marta Pozo Gil and many more.

Open Call for Design Submissions

British Council Open Call for Design Submissions

London Festival of Architecture

3D printing at Atlas of the Unbuilt World

We are excited to announce a new addition to Atlas of the Unbuilt Worldexhibition. If you are an architect, student or designer, you can submit your work which will be live-printed by a 3D printer between 18-22 June at the venue.

Who can get involved?

In keeping with the spirit of the exhibition, this is an open call to students, architects and designers across the world!

How can I get involved?

Tweet us @British_Design and tell us about your project. We’re using the hashtag #BoTeAtlas. You can also submit your project to Karl and Omid at3Dpeasy no later than the 5 June and they will take it from there.

What will happen to my model after it is printed?

Your model will be added to the Atlas of the Unbuilt World exhibition and will be displayed until 27 June. We'll even tweet you a photo of it. When the exhibition closes we'll package it up and send it to you.

What next?

Get started by tweeting us about your project. If you have any technical questions or want your model printed get in touch with Karl and Omid at 3print@3dpeasy.com. There is a fee for printing and postage, please click herefor more information.Open Call for Design submissions

Read more about the Atlas of the Unbuilt World exhibition

Atlas of the Unbuilt World will open on 7 June at The Bartlett School of Architecture. The exhibition will showcase architectural models of future projects from around the globe by some of the most exciting practices and emerging studios working today.

Follow @British_Design for live updates about this project.

Demanio Marittimo Competition

 

 

The selection is open to Industrial Design, Art and Architecture students enrolled in a master degree program. Applicants can participate individually or in a design teams. In case of a team, it is required that at least one of the participants meets the necessary requirements. The project must be designed and developed specifically for the site. Participation will occur under the personal responsibility of the competitor/s.

 

For further information go to www.mappelab.it

 

 

 

 





The Mosque Surprise

Zaha Hadid design fo the Prishtina Mosque!

*This text was taken from "Gazeta Express" and it's written in Albanian by Petrit Selimi (Kosovo's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs)

Befasia e Xhamisë

Një garë se kush do ta ndërtojë shtëpinë e Zotit në Kosovë, përnjëherë bëhet shumë më interesante dhe shpresëdhënëse.

Çka e lidh Bangladeshin, Britanine e Madhe, Irakun dhe Kosovën? Po të bazoheni në zeitgeistin e kafeterive dhe portaleve te sotshme, do të thoshit se është ndonjë lidhje Islamike, diçka që ka të bëjë me debatin fetar të këtyre ditëve. Në një variant më të mbrapshtë, do t’ju shkonte mendja te ndonjë komplot terrorist. Po të mbani në mend se autori (i cili gjithmonë shpreh mendime personale në kolumne) shërben edhe si Zëvendësministër i Jashtëm, ndoshta do t’ju shkojë ndër mend se Bangladeshi e Iraku do të na njohin së shpejti, ndoshta me ndihmën e Britanisë.

Të gjitha janë të pasakta. Fjala është për një grua. Dhe jo çfarëdo grua.

Mirëpo së pari të them se de fakto, feja ka një rol në këtë kolumne. Nesër në Prishtinë do të hapen propozimet për Xhamine e re të Prishtinës, e cila do të vendoset te parking i ndërtesës së PTK-së, në lagjen Dardania. Xhamia pat një histori të veten. Fatin e ndërlidhur me katedralen. Fillimi i ndërtimit të katedrales katolike të finansuar nga komuniteti i madh i shqiptarëve të Amerikës, ndihmuar edhe nga politikanë të lartë Amerikanë si Senatori me prejardhje hebreje Chuck Schummer. Fillimi i ndërtimi të saj, aktualizoi kërkesën e Bashkësisë Islame për një Xhami më të madhe në Prishtinë. Komuna ndau një copë të madhe tokë publike tek Tjegullorja në një qendër relative, por kërkesa e BIK ishte për tokën e qerdhes së Ulpianës. Në fund si kompromis u pajtuan për tokën te Dardania.

Zaha Hadid named as one of 100 most influential personalities of the last century, TIME Magazine.

Një pjesë e publikut kundërshtoi ndërtimin e saj duke pohuar se në Prishtinë ka me dhjetëra xhami, por ishte e qartë që do të ishte vështirë të kundershtohet kërkesa e BIK-ut, kur në qendër tashmë figurojnë në pejzazh fizik një kishë shqiptare dhe një objekt i papërfunduar që u nis nën kushe okupimi për kishe ortodokse serbe. Qoftë edhe simbolikisht, BIK si komunitet shumicë ka pasur të drejtë të kërkojë hapësirë komparative me objekte tjera sakrale në qendër.

Projekti i ndërtimit të xhamisë u bë kontravers edhe me disa shkrime mediale që kritikuan ashpër konkursin e BIK-ut, që pos xhamisë, planifikonte edhe inkorporimin e 80 dyqaneve në kuadër të objektit fetar si dhe nëj banese private. Kritikë tjetër është se edhepse konkursi ishte ndërkombëtar, juria ishte e panjohur (më vonë u bë me dije se vendimi do të merrej nga paria e BIK).

E çka ka lidhje kjo me gruan në fillim të këtij teksti?

Tash e disa ditë, mora vesh që një nga konkurrentet në këtë konkurs qenka edhe Irako-Britanezja e lindur në Banglladesh Zaha Hadid. Kjo është madona e arkitekturës moderne. Është e vetmja grua në grupin e pleqve si Norman Foster, Rem Koolhas, Frank Gehry, Ming Pei që përbëjnë Olimpin e zotëve të arkitekturës. Zaha Hadid është e vetmja që mori Pritzkerin (Oskarin e arkitekturës) dhe dy herë çmimin Stirling. Stili i saj që u ikën vijave të drejta dhe e shndërron çdo ndërtesë në lëvizje organike, është bërë një nga opuset më të rëndësishme artistike në gjithë botën e krijimit modern kreativ. Që të ngashnjeni imagjinatën se si do të mund të dukej kjo pjesë e Prishtinës nëse Zaha Hadid ka investuar sado pak minuta kreativë, ia vlen të shihet propozimi i saj për xhaminë në Kuvajt.

Maxxi Museum in Rome.

Hapja e maketave dhe propozimeve do të bëhet më 26 mars. Nuk dua të paragjykoj fituesin, ngase është krejtësisht e mundshme që ka promozime shumë të mira (apo edhe shumë më të lira). Konkursi nuk i takon domenit të projekteve shtetërore, prandaj juria ka një dozë digresioni. Megjithatë, shpresoj se do ta marrin guximin të shohin përtej nevojave praktike të “xhematit” apo modelit të finansimit. Zaha Hadid do të krijonte një valë enorme pozitive të arikujve pozitivë për Kosovën në revista ku rëndom nuk shkruhet për Kosovën, ngase arkitektura jonë ka shumë pak për të dhënë botës. Dy artikujt më të famshëm janë ai i Sunday Times që pat përzgjur hotelin më të keq në botë Hotelin Grand të Prishtinës, dhe garës së Daily Telegraphit për godinën më të shëmtuar – ku në garë hyri (ndoshta jo edhe fer) ndërtesa e Bibliotekës.

NJë shtëpi e zotit e ndërtuar nga një grua me karrierë fantastike si zonja Hadid është lajm i shkëlqyer. Ndoshta do të mund të bëhej më i mirë vetëm nëse marrim vesh se edhe Rem Koolhas ka marre pjesë.

An exhibition of Zaha Hadid's work at the New York Guggenheim Museum.

Apo ndoshta arkitekti i njohur holandez dha ca tjerë do të mund të merrnin pjesë në konkursin për Galerinë e Arteve Bashkohore, për të cilën Shkelzen Maliqi tash e disa vite (e edhe në kolumnen e tij të djeshme) po avokon që të ndërtohet tek objekti i i vjetër i shtëpisë së mallrave “të re”, te sheshi Skenderbeu. Ideja është me të vërtetë e hatashme, ngase do të rikrijonte qendrën si pikë fokale të interaksionit njerëzor dhe begatimit kulturor të kosovarëve. Pa paragjykuar problemet eventuale ligjore apo ekonomike që ka një propozim i tillë, kryeministri Thaçi, ministri Krasniqi dhe drejtuesit e AKM-së do të bënin një mrekulli të vogël nëse do të hapnin një mundësi të tillë.

Guangzhou Opera House, China.

Por ky është një muhabet tjetër, momentalisht jemi fort të gëzuar që Prishtina e pluhurosur dhe e përvuajtur nga dekada të neglizhencës, turbo-arkitekturës shpirt-shkatërruese, do të mund të fitojë një spirancë të rëndësishme hapësinore që krahas Bibliotekës Kombëtare, do të bëhej symbol i qendrës urbane të Republikës së Kosovës.

Prishtina Central Mosque Exhibition

Prishtina Central Mosque - Exhibition

 

 

 

 

 

On the 27th of March 2013 starting from 4:00 pm the Islamic Community of Kosovo will open a public exhibition with the Competition Designs for the Prishtina Central Mosque. The exhibition that will be held in the premises of Grand Hotel Prishtina  will run for 5 days, the general public is invited to vote for their favorite design. According to the ICK the public vote will make up for 15% of the final vote. 



EU Pavilion by Senat Haliti

EU Pavilion by Senat Haliti

 

 

Courtesy of S. Haliti & M. Azizi

Designed for the ‘Culture for All’ competition, an EU-funded project managed by the European Union Office in Kosovo and implemented by ARS Progetti SPA, Senat Haliti’s pavilion is a response to the need for an artwork that would transform a public space to revive it. By making a structure somebody could enter into, and be surrounded by, the project becomes an “EU HOME” for Kosovans, a space to give them the chance to ‘get in EU’ every day. More images and architects’ description after the break.

Courtesy of S. Haliti & M. Azizi

 

The EU Pavilion idea came from the last stats regarding Kosovans readiness to Join EU (72%).  Pavilion is designed to be occupied, providing a quiet space for contemplation with the potential to encourage building trust amongst people of different communities.

Courtesy of S. Haliti & M. Azizi

 

It is comprised of three elements: ground, space and structure. Roots and heritage are represented by the traditional carped interpreted on the ground while our European aspirations are represented by the structure itself. Based on “EU barcode” (AMO/Rem Koolhaas, 2001) EU member’s flags are layered  and painted in recycled wood forming a house shaped space as most representative form of the “home”, a shelter for all. The color richness is about differences and diversity as it stands also for harmony and beauty. The contemplation space is created in between the roots and structure. A space where people can reflect about the past and future.

Courtesy of S. Haliti & M. Azizi

 

The recycled wooden frame forms a shaded space delimiting the boundary between the inside and outside of the structure. The base grounds the structure, and provides an informal seat. These fundamentals combined, create a bold, lively artwork, reflecting and answering to the vibrant energy that young Kosovans represent.

Architect: Senat Haliti
Location: Shadërvan, Prizren, Republic of Kosovo
Collaborators: Margarita Azizi & Sead Haliti
Budget: 2000 €
Year: 2012

14th International Architecture Exhibition/ Fundamentals

14th International Architecture Exhibition/ Fundamentals

from 7th June to 23rd November 2014

01 | 25 | 2013

Curator: Rem Koolhaas

The President of la Biennale di Venezia, Paolo Baratta, accompanied by the curator of the 14th International Architecture Exhibition, Rem Koolhaas, met today at Ca’ Giustinian with the representatives of the 40 Countries participating in the 14th Exhibition, which will take place from 7 June to 23 November 2014 at the Giardini and at the Arsenale (Preview on 5 and 6 June) and in various other venues in Venice.

The title chosen by Rem Koolhaas for the 14th International Architecture Exhibition is:

Fundamentals

Rem Koolhaas has stated: “Fundamentals will be a Biennale about architecture, not architects. After several Biennales dedicated to the celebration of the contemporary, Fundamentals will focus on histories – on the inevitable elements of all architecture used by any architect, anywhere, anytime (the door, the floor, the ceiling etc.) and on the evolution of national architectures in the last 100 years. In three complementary manifestations – taking place in the Central Pavilion, the Arsenale, and the National Pavilions – this retrospective will generate a fresh understanding of the richness of architecture’s fundamental repertoire, apparently so exhausted today.

In 1914, it made sense to talk about a “Chinese” architecture, a “Swiss” architecture, an “Indian” architecture. One hundred years later, under the influence of wars, diverse political regimes, different states of development, national and international architectural movements, individual talents, friendships, random personal trajectories and technological developments, architectures that were once specific and local have become interchangeable and global. National identity has seemingly been sacrificed to modernity.

Having the decisive advantage of starting work a year earlier than the Biennale’s typical schedule, we hope to use this extra time to introduce a degree of coordination and coherence among the National Pavilions. Ideally, we would want the represented countries to engage a single theme – Absorbing Modernity: 1914-2014 – and to show, each in their own way, the process of the erasure of national characteristics in favour of the almost universal adoption of a single modern language in a single repertoire of typologies.

The First World War – the beginning of modern globalization – serves a starting point for the range of narratives. The transition to what seems like a universal architectural language is a more complex process than we typically recognize, involving significant encounters between cultures, technical inventions and imperceptible ways of remaining “national.” In a time of ubiquitous google research and the flattening of cultural memory, it is crucial for the future of architecture to resurrect and expose these narratives.

By telling the history of the last 100 years cumulatively, the exhibitions in the National Pavilions will generate a global overview of architecture’s evolution into a single, modern aesthetic, and at the same time uncover within globalization the survival of unique national features and mentalities that continue to exist and flourish even as international collaboration and exchange intensify…

President Paolo Baratta explained the evolution of the Architecture Biennale and consequently the choice of Rem Koolhaas:

“We are universally recognized as the most important event in the world for Architecture; we are the place where Architecture talks about itself and meets life and society at large. For this reason over the past few years our choices of curators and themes have been based on the awareness of the gap between the “spectacularization” of architecture on the one hand, and the waning capacity of society to express its demands and its needs on the other hand. The architects are called upon prevalently to create awe-inspiring buildings and the “ordinary” is going astray, towards banality if not squalor: a modernity lived bad.

At the culmination of this process we have asked Rem Koolhaas to engage himself in an original research project.

The Exhibition is also evolving in the way it is organized. Born as an “imitation” of the Art Exhibition and developed to “invite” architects to bring us their installations, just like for the Art Biennale, it is evolving into a major Exhibition-research project conducted directly by the curator (who is in fact appointed as the director of the Architecture sector of the Biennale). The countries are offered the opportunity for a better integration into this research project. The Exhibition will be enhanced by an increasing number of activities throughout its duration, with workshops and seminars that enrich it as anactive-Exhibition. For this reason we have decided to anticipate the opening date to the 7th of June and to make the Exhibition last as long as the Art Exhibition (about 6 months).”

The 14 International Architecture Exhibition of la Biennale di Venezia will also present, as is traditional, the National Participations with their own exhibitions in the Pavilions at the Giardini and at the Arsenale, and in the historic city centre of Venice.This edition will also include selected Collateral Events, presented by international entities and institutions, which will present their exhibitions and initiatives in Venice concurrently with the 14th Exhibition.

Rem Koolhaas appointed as Curator to the 14th Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale

Rem Koolhaas appointed as the Curator to the 14th Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale 2014

The Board of Directors of la Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta, met today in the headquarters of Ca’ Giustinian and, after thanking and expressing its gratitude to David Chipperfield for the excellent results of the 13th International Architecture Exhibition, appointed Rem Koolhaas Director of the Architecture section, with the specific responsibility of curating the 14th International Architecture Exhibition to be held in 2014.

At the end of the meeting of the Board, President Paolo Baratta stated:
“The Architecture Exhibitions of the Biennale have gradually grown in importance internationally. Rem Koolhaas, one of the most significant personalities among the architects of our time - who has based all his work on intense research, now renowned celebrity - has accepted to engage himself in yet another research and, why not, rethinking”.

On his part, Rem Koolhaas has stated: “We want to take a fresh look at the fundamental elements of architecture - used by any architect, anywhere, anytime – to see if we can discover something new about architecture.”


Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Biennale Architettura 2010 and Pritzker Prize in 2000, Rem Koolhaas (Rotterdam 1944) founded OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) in 1975 together with Elia and Zoe Zenghelis and Madelon Vriesendorp. At the same time as designing buildings around the world with OMA, Koolhaas works in non-architectural disciplines – politics, publishing, media, fashion and sociology – through his think tank and research unit, AMO.

After studying at the Architectural Association in London, and at Cornell and the Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies in the US, Koolhaas wroteDelirious New York (1978). In 1995, S,M,L,XL summarized the work of OMA in a 1,200-page book that redefined architectural publishing. Recently completed OMA buildings led by Koolhaas include the new headquarters for China Central Television (CCTV) in Beijing; a new headquarters for Rothschild Bank in London; the Wyly Theatre, Dallas; and Milstein Hall, an extension to Cornell’s college of Architecture, Art and Planning. OMA buildings currently under construction include the Taipei Performing Arts Centre; a new headquarters for G-star in Amsterdam; the Shenzhen Stock Exchange; and De Rotterdam, a mixed-use building on the river Maas. 

International Competition for the Prishtina Central Mosque

International Competition for the Prishtina Central Mosque

An International Competition for the design of the Central Mosque in Prishtina has been announced in December 2012.  The registration period has now been closed and according to the Kosovo's Islamic Community officials a substantial number of local and International Architecture studio's including renowned one's have registered for the competition.

Following day's the organizers will be announcing the Competition Jury.