During the war in Sarajevo (1992-1996), the National and University Library of Sarajevo was shelled many times resulting in significant interior and structure damage. In this fourth year design studio, students worked in groups over four weeks to construct the original/ historic building dating back to 1878, then the next ten weeks to redesign and reconstruct the ‘new’ building individually.
Students were asked to build upon the civic presence and urban values of the existing structure, and design a building that could act as a monument, an urban marker and the gateway to the city.
The ‘new’ building had to celebrate the architectural achievements, local diversity and multi-cultural history of the existing building, satisfy the requirements of a library, as well as retail
shops, office space, café and a lecture theatre.
Through the discussion of the construction and destruction of the built fabric, the studio aimed to enhance students’ awareness of the links between architectural design and broader
socio-political contexts.
Students were asked to interpret the role the building and try to respond to the issues of collective memory, identity and heritage, and its subsequent destruction in the war as an
attack on that memory. Keeping the remnants of the old provided a point of continuity upon which new designs could be built.
This studio project was lead by Sarajevo born Dijana Alic, a lecturer in the Architecture Program. Dijana’s current research focuses on War and Architecture, specifically the
importance and the implied value(s) that buildings have in collective memory. In her teaching Dijana draws inspiration as well as theoretical underpinning from her research.
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