CENTRALPEDESTRIANZONEIN BANJA LUKA Banja Luka,

23. december 2019. ‐ 13. january 2020.

Banski dvor

INTERNATIONAL OPEN PUBLIC COMPETITION FOR THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR THE

Igor Radojičić, MSc in El. Eng. chair

Prof. Ivan Rašković, Arch. deputy chair

Renato Rizzi, architect, member

Prof. Brankica Milojević,PhD Arch, memebr

Ognjen Šukalo, PhD Arch.

Aleksandar Bobić, landscape Arch. member

Nevena Predojević, PhD Arch. member

Standin jurymembers:Milijana Okilj, PhD Arch.

Nevena Šljivić Babić, Arch.

Reporting experts:Ljiljana Zvonar, Arch.Jasna Šakotić, Arch.

Secreatary: Maja Smiljanić, BLL

The competition solution for the new pedestrian zonein Banja Luka represents a new axis of the city thatshould connect the ambients, incorporate them intothe existing surroundings and hint at new directions inwhich the city should expand in future. The basic con-cept of the solution is to connect the space into onecoherent whole, and to form a new city square as afocal point.

The proposed solution for the central pedestrian zonein Banja Luka more or less follows the concept of "fluidspace" that is being developed by the formation ofsquares. The solution confirms the idea of greenery onthe square or greenery framing the square. Integra-tiveness of the zone is achieved by physical functionaland formative connection of ambient 1 and 2, func-tional connection at the level of the parterre of ambi-

Author’s code 73765AASECOND PRIZE in the amount of EUR 8.500,00

ent 1 and 2 with ambient 3 and 4 united in one squareframed by alleys, and pedestrian penetration from am-bient 4 into ambient 5, which is treated as a closedblock. In this way, the authors divide the zone intothree segments (ambient: 1 + 2 and 3 + 4 and 5). Interms of the program, the authors treat the first seg-ment of this chain as a complete functional squarewith the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU). In akeen way, the solution abandons the existing streetparking solution, linking the new ground-floor garage

with business activities and the urban motif of the "citystaircase" to the present "hinterland" of the MSUbuilding. The solution retains the tall trees in front ofthe MSU building through the concept of a raisedevent square with a wooden “floor” edged with a stripsquare above the new underground garage adjacentto the Krajina building. Ambient 3 and 4 are solved asone square surrounded and divided by double tree al-leys to form "green rooms". The solution unnecessarilyintroduces long arched benches around the church

and does not retain the existing high trees of goodquality at the site of the present park.Ambient 5 is solved as a closed block with a permeableground floor towards the perimeter and center of theblock and commercial shops on the ground floor, whilea residential-business program is foreseen on thehigher floors. The interior of the block was resolved byan atrium procedure as passage yards. The authorstreat the interior of the block as a commodified, orcommercialized, open space for public use, and there-

fore "separate" it from the ambient 4 by cultural pro-gram.With regard to the monumental heritage, the monu-ment of Ban Milosavljevic is relocated without indica-tion of a new location. On the other hand, the authorscarefully determine the location for the new monu-ment of the Defense War 1992-1995 in the part di-rectly related to the Republka Srpska PresidentialPalace and to the hinterland in ambient 5, and its cul-tural purposes.

Studio"NORMOTIC"Authors team: Zoran Dmitrovic,Nenad Blagojevic,Marija Bjelic Milutinovic,Nikola Abramovic,Marija Radojlovic,and associatesMihailo Sladoje andIsidora Pokrajac,Serbia

Author’s code 70842DMSECOND PRIZE in the amount of EUR 8.500,00

The basic concept of this work is based on the estab-lishment of a new pedestrian zone in the city, whichis affirmed by this approach as an accentuated"green axis". With the introduction of new contents,a new ground floor has been designed for pedestri-ans and active urban life. The solution foreshadows anew dimension of space ambient as a complementto the existing Banja Luka city matrix, and primarilythe existing pedestrian zone and the city's already de-

veloped green fund.The proposed solution of the central pedestrian zonein Banja Luka draws on some of the ideas of the de-velopment concept of Banja Luka as a "green city".The solution stands out as more or less a functionalsolution for the ground floor and urban environment,above all by affirming urban greenery, pedestrianflows and the construction concept based on theprinciples of energy efficiency. Careful approach first

of all confirms the existing values of the green fundthrough the concept of "green islands", enablingmore or less functional pedestrian flow and link tothe environment. Integrativeness of the zone isachieved through visual interconnection procedures(Ambient 1 and 2), functional pedestrian connectionthrough subway (Ambient 2 and 3) and a functionalpedestrian connection on the ground floor (Ambient3, 4 and 5). In this way, the authors divide the zoneinto three segments (ambient: 1 and 2 and 3 + 4 + 5).In terms of the program, the authors describe thefirst segment of this chain as a street island with an

overhead garage in combination with tertiary activi-ties - located towards “Petar Kočić” Park and withopen green space towards Hotel “Bosna”. Throughremodeling process, the authors solve the space infront of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU)partly as a green environment and partly as an eventsquare, partly at the expense of the existing greenery,while the space next to the Krajina Business Center issolved by an underground garage, above which theyform an alley with a water motif. With the solution ofambient 3 and 4, the authors rely on the existing de-sign and program framework that they functionally

solve as a green open space with park elements,whose motif is repeated in ambient 5, thus integrat-ing ambient 3, 4 and 5 into a single green functionalunit. From the point of view of the program ofplanned buildings in Ambient 5, the solution relies onthe concept of a residential-business block that is de-veloped by a diverse program of tertiary and quater-nary activities on the ground floor with an opencentral space of the block, and the cultural purposetowards Ambient 4. Applying the concept of a doublefaçade with "vertical gardens", the authors apply the

procedure of repeating the same element, which re-sults in non-integration with the established mor-phology and identity of the environment. Regardingthe monumental heritage, it is generally foreseen tochange the location of the Ban Milosavljevic monu-ment in ambiet 4. Given the location of the newmonument of the Defense War 1992-1995, as lo-cated in ambient 4, the solution does not include aspatial-functional analysis, nor it proposes a spatial-compositional solution that would encompass thismonument.

Authors team:Dragan Marcetic, arch.and Milan Maksimovic, arch. and associatesIgor Pisaric, arch.Serbia

The concept is based on the intersection of two pedes-trian routes – the existing and planned, and a newtown square is defined here. The square occupies alarge area in order to emphasize its monumentalityand importance for Banja Luka as the capital of Repub-lika Srpska. The square is divided by green areas andbordered by the park area. In this way, the competitionsolution preserves and enhances the natural values in

the city center. Built-in and green areas are largely inte-grated, and moving through the central zone gives theimpression of a constant shift between the built andthe natural.With the proposed solution of the central pedestrianzone in Banja Luka, this work affirms the heterogeneityof the urban environment, primarily through theprocess of careful treatment of the parterre and the di-

Author’s code 2SL5321SECOND PRIZE in the amount ofEUR 8.500,00

verse composition of greenery and green surround-ings. Integrativeness of the zone is achieved through vi-sual interconnection procedures (Ambient 1 and 2),functional pedestrian connection through subway(Ambient 2 and 3) and a functional pedestrian connec-tion on the ground floor (Ambient 3, 4 and 5). The au-thors refer to the first segment of this chain as a streetisland with an underground garage combined with ter-tiary activities and cultural contents within a canopy lo-cated opposite the facade of the Museum of

Contemporary Art (MSU). The space in front of theMSU has been solved with a park character and sup-plemented by a canopy on a new strip plateau that isformed towards the "Krajina" building, which is con-nected to the underground pedestrian passage to-wards Ambient 3. The solution envisages additionalgreenery in the Ambient 3 around the Temple and itsintegration with the space in front of the Hotel“Bosna” through materialization of an ellipticalparterre. Ambient 4 has been resolved as a green

Authors team: MihailoMikavica andMartaMinicSerbia

square, while retaining and affirming the existing tallgreen fund through an accentuated composition of cir-cular green gardens on the square. This ground floorconcept was also applied in Ambient 5, with an em-phasis on flows and breaks through integration with adiverse ground floor program and an emphasis on theopening of this block towards the perimeter environ-ment. With regard to the monumental heritage, thedecision without prior spatial verification, foresees a

change in the location of the Ban Milosavljevic monu-ment in Ambient 4. Considering the location of thenew Monument of the Defense War 1992-1995 lo-cated in Ambient 4, the solution ambitiously envisionsa location between the Temple and the City Hall in theform and zone of the pedestrian ramp. Greenery com-position has been carefully crafted in terms of habitusas well as texture, volume and color in order to achievediverse ambiences and spatial accents.

The competition work has processed and offered solu-tions for all five environments that make up the consid-ered scope. The project emphasizes the historical axisand continuity of the landscape, strengthens the de-sign concept of an "urban oasis" through a multi-levelvertical landscape, introduces a green belt into the oldcity area with the intention of making Banja Luka a"green city".The proposed solution elaborates the concept of a"green city" by forming a series of "green roofs" be-

neath which, it places in Ambient 1, trade facilities andgarage space, linking it with overhead passage acrossVidovdanska Street to Ambient 2. It proposes a busstop in front of the building and opposite the Museumof Contemporary Art (MSU) with the "green wall" inthe back. In Ambient 2, a new square is formed with ahistoric monument, and underground garages areplanned to be built below it with a driveway from Vi-dovdanska Street. Overhead passage with a pedestrianand bicycle path, as a "green roof”, has a connection

Author’s code77111TWHONORABLEMENTION in the amounf of EUR 1.800,00

with Ambient 1, but also creates a problem of connect-ing the newly created level with the ground floor. Theconnection is achieved by ramps which, by their posi-tion and dimension, physically and visually impede agood connection of the objects that refer to the scopeof the competition and of the ambiences in their rela-tion with each other. Intervention in Ambient 3 comesdown to the planning of a subway that connects toAmbient 2. The work connects Ambients 4 and 5 byforming a new pedestrian street with green park areasin the height of the corridor and a fountain in the cen-tral axis. Also, pedestrian paths in the form of rampsare planned in this Ambient, which are superimposedon the planned objects in Ambient 5, and which con-nect the angle of the ground floor with the first floor ofthe objects in question. In addition to the aforemen-tioned, there is also a children's playground in this Am-

Studio A05, Architectural Design and Research Institute of HITAuthors team:Tang Jiajun; Zhang Bo; Dong Tianqi,China.

bient, and grasslands, flower paths and tall plants areenvisaged within the park. In this way, the solutionagain brings out the subject of ramps, especially interms of their required lengths, and the inevitable for-mation of inaccessible and unusable spaces belowthem, especially in the area of the building of the Presi-dential Palace. Within Ambient 5, larger water spacewithin the block with pedestrian bridges and platformsabove the water is planned. The block in the main linesfollows the given parameters regarding the heightsand dimensions of the buildings. The concept of con-

necting the side streets to the central pedestrian zonewithin the block was achieved. Below the block is agarage. Walking routes are planned along residentialand commercial buildings with the interpolation ofgreen spaces parallel to the water surfaces. The char-acteristic of this work is the greening of the roof ter-races. Concerning the monumental heritage, thesolution without prior spatial verification keeps the BanMilosavljevic monument within this unit and proposesa new position. In contrast, they provide a site for an-other historic monument.

Author’s code12241BDHONORABLE MENTION

The competition work offered solutions for all five am-biences that make up the considered scope. The workproposed a central axis that connects all the ambi-ences, calling it the "Promenade of Remembrance."The solution proposes a diagonal axle to connect allspatial units: from the intersection of Vasa Pelagic Str.and Dr Ban Todor Lazarevic Str. to the city niche just offthe southern end of the Museum of ContemporaryArt. The authors refer to this axis as the "Axis of Re-

membrance" and relate to it with the competition re-quested memorial contents and other elements of thecity memories - and its (re) presentation. The authorsbelieve that the central area of Banja Luka lacks a vari-ety of elevation positions for the activation and enjoy-ment of the public urban space, and they proposesolutions for this by lowering below the level of thebasic elevation of the terrain, and raising the public do-main into the parts of the first floor above ground, and

- as the most striking part of this work - going out to the(green) city roofs in an oblique plane and in continuitywith the city parks (in Ambient 1). Although this solu-tion brings a very high level of completion of the ten-der material, a solid visual and graphic standard,attention to detail (accompanied by quality examples),it still neglects the elements of the existing state (aswell as the valid documents of spatial regulation), andconsequently reduces its own values and, most impor-tantly, its applicability in a given location. Hence, al-

ready active construction works are ignored in Ambi-ent 5, while at the same time, the construction zonemoves to Ambient 4 intended for public urban space.The solution for Ambient 1, as well as the concept offacades in Ambient 5, can be considered bold, success-ful and even applicable, while the leveling in Ambient2, 3 and 4 goes to the other extreme. The tendency ofthe work towards integrating the overall unit of thecompetition task is for honorable mention.

Authors team:Bratislav Gakovic, arch.Dragana Ciprijanovic, arch.and consultantTijana Brkic, arch.Serbia

Author’s code21218BCHONORABLE MENTION

The concept evolved through the lattice overlap motif.Each grid was created by geometry of the existingphysical structure. Each ambient geometry has its ownsub-theme and sub-argument. The lighting installationbelongs to one network, while the water park / foun-tain belongs to the other and the main line and so on.The interplay of these networks creates a recognizableoverarching theme in all ambiences, and throughoutthe city's central public area it creates a visual experi-ence.This proposal addresses the city center in a partially ac-

centuated way, where facilities and spaces become aredefinition traverse. Namely, they are subject to or-ganization and design, where the usual relationshipsamong the elements change, creating new forms thatexpress other codes and metaphors. Different typolo-gies are suggested in comparison with the usual ones,related to the contents specified by the competitionprogram. In this way, the residential-business complexin Ambient 5 becomes, by covering the common inter-space, “something else” in relation to the usual archi-tectural expression of the intended purpose. The

described covering emphasizes the space between theobjects and underlines the public use. The core of the"events" becomes the interspace, towards which gravi-tate the surrounding ambiences precisely because ofthe power of the spatial expression of the covered sur-face. The green, park areas in Ambient 2 and Ambient4 are resolved more at the image level than the con-crete assembly in the space. The solutions proposedare, as already noted, more abstract representations ofan area than concrete spaces. Additionally, their spatialorganization confirms this, since it is more formallythan functionally placed in a specific place. The state-ments made also apply to Ambient 1, where the as-sumed green spaces are more decorative points thanusable park facilities. The proposed solution thereforerelies more on the expression than on the concrete or-ganization of space; preference is given to meaning,

suggestiveness and architectural at-titude and expression. This is pre-cisely the quality of this work; thespaces shown are visualized con-cepts, closer to the substance ofthe concepts to which they refer,than to what they are concretely.The only aspect of the work articu-lated as the materialization of theidea is the illumination of the treatedambiences; the system of street lighting, dif-ferent shapes, technologies and positions in thecompetition coverage, communicated the idea of lightas a building element of an organized space. It empha-sized, even formed, pedestrian paths, areas of gather-ing, accentuated points of importance and locatedfocuses of understanding the essential points in thetreated area. The authors, therefore, put light at theheart of their idea, thus resolving the anatomy ofspace, while positioning themselves at the edge of apure concept, they expressed their views on the "play"of ordinary elements, which, brought into (un) ordi-nary relations, create new meanings.

Authors team:Aleksandar Kostic,Rose O' Hare, Woytek Cymerys,Ireland

Authors code SA22022 Authors team: Mr. Wenyi Zhu, Mr. Yang Yue, Miss. Lin Zhang - School of Architecture, Tsinghua University Beijing, P.R.China

Authors code 91871FU Authors team: Arch.Michela Del Nero, Arch.Pierpaolo Frediani, Arch. Roberta Menconi, Arch. and Landscape Architect Simona Paladini, Arch. Nicola Giovanni Arrigo

Venutelli, Graduated in Science of Architecture Valentina Volpi i Architecture student Alberto Fazzi, Italy

Authors code '19593МА' Authors team: Damir Rastoder, Admir Bibic and Mirsad Kolasinac, Serbia

Authors code 77707АА Authors team: Verica Krstic, arch, Jelena Ristic Trajkovic, arch, Aleksandra Milovanovic, arch,

Marko Dedic, arch. and Katarina Dimitrijevic, arch. Serbia

Authors code 23370РМ Authors team: Pedja Parovic, Vladimir Parezanin, Djordje Mandrapa, Rada Maslesa and Milica Bozovic, Serbia

Authors code 23613АА ''Arco project'', d.o.o. Belgrade

Authors team: PhD Petar Arsic, arch, Danilo Arsic, arch, Ana Virijevic, arch, Nikola Popovic, stud. arch, PhD MirjanaSekulic, arch. and PhD Ljiljana Dosenovic, arch. Serbia

Banja Luka, 23. december 2019. ‐ 13. january 2020.

Banski dvor