The theme of the exhibition of the III Balkan Architectural Biennale New Patterns in Architecture and Urbanism offers a platform for reading the Balkan patterns of displaying immanent architectural insufficiency in the process between a specific social reality and a utopian dream.
Although one may not be open to admit to it, virtually every practicing architect intimately believes that she has the right to her own system of interpretation of architecture. The constitution of a personal system of thinking is proving to be inevitable, in a time when all previous architectural doctrines can be considered as outdated. In everydayness of an ordinary life, behind every architectural doctrine, no matter how universal, the stern face of dogma will appear. The history of knowledge about architecture can be seen through the history of spatial concepts, wrote Bernard Tschumi in 1975. in his text ‘Architectural paradox’. As an architect – designer and theoretician, Tschumi inquires the realm of material-built architecture and its conceptual environment. From the dialectic ambiguity of this relationship, he concludes that architecture, as a phenomenon, is always insufficient and incomplete. It is missing – either a concept or a realization. The incapacity of architecture to be complete, neither as a pure concept, nor as a pure realistic creation (and especially not as a mixture of them) is in a specific way territorialized in the frames of what we consider as the Balkans. Architects working on this territory are operatively facing the ambivalent incompleteness of architecture, word from curator prof. dr Tatjana Stratimirović
Balkan Architectural Biennale 2017 was held in Belgrade, Faculty of Diplomacy and Security, from 18‐24th of December 2017. The manifestation was realized successfully for the third time with the support of Ministry of Culture and Media – Republic of Serbia, Ministry of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure – Republic of Serbia; Ministry of Education, Science and technological Development – Republic of Serbia; City of Belgrade; ISOCARP; Serbian Chamber of Commerce; Faculty of Architecture – University of Belgrade; Museum of Science and Technology – Belgrade; Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia; RTS; STO; Polymers group; Shamlitza; Enterijer Magazine; Gradnja Magazine and Mondo; gathering around 200 participants and 300 visitors over seven days period of duration.
The Third Biennale was opened by BAB commissioner dr Tatjana Mrđenović, and director Marko Stojanović with introductory speeches: “Balkan Architectural Biennale – BAB is an architectural‐cultural platform enlightening main topics in the field melting boundaries among Balkan countries connecting with global trends, interdisciplinary. The overall topic of BAB 2017 was “New (Balkan) Patterns in Architecture & Urbanism“, conceptualized by BAB commissioner dr Tatjana Mrđenović, and curator prof dr Tatjana Stratimirović, aiming to enlighten various processes on Balkan territory that are related to urban development, urban planning, urban design and Architecture in whole, putting emphasis both on inner and outer crosscutting influences in theory and practice that are reflected in the city and regional development in Balkan and region. It brings together theorists, academics, researchers, professionals, practitioners, and city developers to discuss future patterns and paths of urban and architectural development based on its historical development and wider integrative regional and global processes. BAB consists of multiple interconnected modules interconnecting academia and practice in the field of architecture and urbanism, aiming to make crucial qualitative changes in the field, promoting tolerance, transparency, and cultural synergy.”
ARCHITECTURAL AND DESIGNER’S EXIBITION
The first main segment of Balkan Architectural Biennale Architectural exhibition: „New Patterns in Architecture and Urbanism”, curated by dr Tatjana Stratimirović offered a platform for reading the Balkan patterns of displaying immanent architectural insufficiency in the process between a specific social reality and a utopian dream. It gathered 140 participants out of which 84 works in the field of architecture and urbanism, 28 in the field of interior design and 28 in the field of industrial design.
The members of international jury in the field of architecture and urbanism: pof. dr Eva Vaništa Lazarević, prof. dr Petar Arsić, both from University of Belgrade – Faculty of Architecture; prof. dr Sophia Vyzoviti from the University of Thessaly; prof. dr Mihajlo Zinoski from the University of Skopie; and dr Maria Jose Climent Mondejar from the San Antonio Catholic University of Murcia; gave awards in two categories: built works and architectural‐urbanist designs.
ARCHITECTURE – REALIZATIONS
Grand prix Studio 3LHD: Karlovac Freshwater Aquarium
Second prize Studio Simović: N1 and N8‐Housing
Third prize: Dva arhitekta : Villa on Murter Island
Honourable mentions for architecture – built work went to: Studio Synthesis: Villa Laurus, Boka Kotorska, Kuzmanov and Partners: Residential building, Novi Sad, Ema Alihodžić Jasarović: House Chedo, Rado‐Engineering: Sport Center ‘Jane Sandanski’, Istanbul Biligi University Campus Santralistanbul: NOPA (Non‐Orthogonal Planar Assemblies) Experimental Architecture Works.
ARCHITECTURE – NONREALIZATIONS
The grand prix: Studio Synthesis: New Cemetery Podgorica
The second prize: ENFORMA: ENTEXT, Kotor
The third prize: Hannah Han, Grace Ng: Liminal Heterotopia
Honourable mentions went to: MAPA architects: Vila Krasica, Istra; Bogdanović‐Djurić: Square and pavilions ‐Eco‐park; Bogdanovic‐Djuric: Faculty‐of‐Philology‐and‐Applied‐Arts‐phase‐1, Kragujevac; DBA: Recostruction‐of‐SC‐Moraca,Podgorica; Miroslava Balubdžić: Dipos Leisure Centar; Vesna Mila Čolić Damjanović, Miloš Komlenić: Transformative User‐Expandable Housing; M. Lazović, D. Nedeljković, D. Stojiljković: Palilula‐market, Belgrade; A. Zorić, M. Kostić, J. Bugarski et al.: City Gallery Kosancicev Venac.
URBANISM
Grand prix: IABA 2017– Antalya Turkey. RURAL LANDSCAPE EXPLORATIONS
The second prize: ISOCARP advisory team: RESHAPING MEMORYLANE. ZHONGSHAN AVENUE
The third prize: Dragana Ćirić: DATASCAPES
Honourable mentions for urbanism went to: Nikola Bulajić: Bedem 360, Nikšić; Studio‐ Synthesis: Urban‐design‐for‐the‐New‐Cemetery; ISOCARP advisory team: BODO airport; Spasoje Vujović, Kristina Ugrin Daljević, Miloš Todorović: Boka Gardens.
Designer Exhibition, curated by Jelena Nikolić, consisted of works in the field of interior and furniture design. Interior design is globally regarded as a part of a growing industry. However, it is important to pay attention that interior design is concerned as a category of luxury services market, so it is constantly subjected to ups and downs of the economy. On the other hand, this should not significantly affect and discourage professional designers, and including those who complete vocational schools in this area, because there are market and interest in this area at any moment. On the contrary, the current economic situation should not discouraged them but it should have had inspired the further development, expansion of possibilities and researching information on various topics. Our goal was to gather as many professional designers as possible, as well as students of vocational studies, manufacturers, traders, importers, and others in this field.The participants should have had focused on presenting their views on the current situation in the Balkans in terms of the perception of interior design, production of furniture, design and industrial design. The participants were invited to exhibit their works in the form of presentations of performed interior projects and realized mobiliar (furniture).
The jury in the field of interior design and furniture: Sasa J. Machtig, Professor Emeritus atUniversity of Ljubljana – Academy of fine Art and Design, Faculty of Architecture; Ranko Bočina – Univesity of Arts in Belgrade – Faculty of Applied Arts; Jelena Matić, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Forestry; Mirjana Mikulec, In Dizajn; Uroš Janković, Wood Line, gave awards in two categories Interior Design and Furniture:
FURNITURE
First prize – ELLE Chair, Domino studio, author: Nataša Perković
Second prize – Forma 01, author: Iva Đjurović
Third prize – Love Mystical Balkan, author: Milica Petrović
Special recognition to BOREAL, authors: Maja Urban & Petar Borović
