Podgorica is gearing up to start construction on its first congress and exhibition centre, following an international architectural competition that drew 108 entries from 38 countries.
The winning concept, titled Event Factory, comes from a Turkish team—Can Kalınsazlıoğlu, M. Harun Beyhan, and Bilal Uğur Liman—and was praised for its innovative use of a peripheral Podgorica meadow surrounded by industrial zones.
The expert jury consisted of the president of the Professional Chamber of Architects of Montenegro, architect Novica Mitrović, as well as architects Milka Gnjato, Branislav Gregović, Jure Grohar and the chief city architect of the capital, Duška Mačić.
The jury applauded the project’s ability to create a highly functional and atmospheric space without relying on architectural clichés.
Here is what the jury said about the project: “A meadow on the outskirts of Podgorica, well connected to the rest of the city by traffic but at the same time surrounded by industrial facilities, is the context that inspired the award-winning authors to offer another factory, this time an “event factory”. The success of the proposed solution is reflected, among other things, in the fact that a space of rich ambience and functionality was created, but without flirting with stereotypes about the need to create an identity for the object and location, putting form, dimensions and materials in the foreground. The awarded work, in addition to being a platform for creating events, also offers a wealth of thoughtful and carefully composed ambience.”
The second prize was awarded to the work of the author team from Serbia (Luka Vujović, Slavica Nikolčić and Nikola Vujović), and the third prize was awarded to the team from Montenegro (Mirko Popović, Žaklina Nježić, Veljko Vulanović, Zoltán Schrammel).
The centre will serve as a modern venue for exhibitions, conferences, and major events, and marks a significant step for Montenegro’s capital in developing its business and cultural infrastructure.
Source: The Region
