Travelling Exhibition "GËZIM PAÇARIZI. Architecture of Resistance"

Index

1.1 Scientific project

1.2 Brief presentation of the architect

1.3 Selection of the works

1.4 Concept, flow of people

1.5 Designed experience

1.6 Designed devices

1.7 Tecnical drawings

1.1 Scientific project GËZIM PAÇARIZI. Architecture of Resistance

The exhibition will be a travelling exhibition. The concept of the exhibition is by Lisa Poinelli, Mikaela Maçka; curators of the exhibition with the collaboration of Lucyna Żelazny and Łukasz Śliwiński.

The focus is on the work of Kosovo-Albanian architect, Gëzim Paçarizi. Despite being an active architect inside and outside his home country, the exhibition will be related to the most sensible part of his architecture, represented by realizations in Kosovo territory.

The concept of the exhibition is strictly related to the resistance architecture, intended as opposition of the architect’s works against the imposed modernity that has shaped Kosovo landscape.

As the curator of “Visibility (Imposed Modernity)” - Kosovo’s Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2014, Paçarizi said that “Kosovo has never absorbed modernity. Modernity has been a synonym of destruction and foreign aesthetics”. We called his answer to this phenomena architecture of resistance. We intend this resistance as an effort against the imposed modernity, distinguished by lack of quality and total absence of local approach that characterizes the recent architecture in the country.

The exhibition has two “faces”; one that shows the architectural and urban situation of Kosovo and the other the work of the architect fitting in the context.

The visitor is informed on what “imposed modernity” is for Kosovo through projections and photos. Until late 7

1950, Kosovar cities had still a medieval structure, but the situation changed strikingly under the socialist government who wanted to modernize Kosovo. Buildings without “design” continue to be built even nowadays and this is the object of resistance in the work of Paçarizi.

Adjacent to it, Paçarizi’s work is presented through a specific lens. The architectural projects will be presented through some aspects/topics that characterize the architecture of resistance itself, such as, local light, climate, topography, tactile, tectonics and tradition. His attitude in architectural works is exhibited on the framework of critical regionalism.

The two “faces” of the exhibition stress the contrast between architect’s work and the regional actual architectural and urban context. The visitors would feel this contrast inside the exhibition, walking through a steel reinforcement structure that shows the arrogance of modernity in Kosovo and light translucent panels exhibiting the works of the architect.

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1.2 Brief presentation of the architect Gëzim Paçarizi was born in 1964, in Prizren, one of the oldest and most traditional Kosovar cities. He moved to Switzerland in 1989 and graduated architecture at Geneva University in 1993.

With a previous formation in painting, he would continue his activity both in architecture and painting, regularly exhibiting in Geneva’s art galleries. After extensive studies and visits on Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn he has developed a theory of his own, which has been translated into many buildings.

He began his architectural practice in Geneva and in 2002 he opened GPAA practice in Kosovo.

In 2014, he was the curator of Kosovo’s Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Until now he has been the main contributor to the renewal of contemporary architecture in Kosovo. In this period he has built exceptional buildings and designed some of the most interesting projects in after war Kosovo.

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1.3 Selection of the works The selection of the Paçarizi’s works is done with respect to each of the themes: tradition, topography, climate, light, tactile and tectonics. For each of the sections, there is selected just one of his work to be analyzed through each of the specific aspects

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Theme/Light Project: Mother Teresa Museum, Prizren, Kosovo

Description of the project: The Museum is situated in front of the Catholic Cathedral of Prizren, where a century ago Mother Theresa’s parents got married.

From the outside you can see three volumes on top of each other with one large opening for each floor. The three large windows with the small overhanging are closely related to the old Prizren architecture however without copying it.

This simplicity hides a very generous and large interior space. When entering the building from the vibrant street we are surprised by the large vertical and bright space.

Since there are no openings in the three sides facing the entrance, we tend to look above. The triple height space is covered by a white arch, covering the two thirds of space longitudinally, with 31 square skylights.

The play of light and the volumes of space interwoven vertically and horizontally make the museum look much larger than reality.

Mother Teresa Museum is built around the idea of one space. Everything is done around the idea of the void. Of nothingness.

Type of presentation: Photos and time-lapse videos

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Theme/Tactile Project: Garden House in Prishtina, 2017 Description of the project: Both visually and both the other senses’ experiences takes a part in the design of this house. The materials used are local available materials only and their use is connected with the tradition and the feeling of the space.

In the exterior, concrete and plain bricks are the basic materials. One particular elements that can be touched and felt is the water, directly inspired from the Old Prizren, where until the World War II, all the houses were crossed by water channels. The North wall is made of bricks and the concrete plaster is used to reinterpret an old traditional feature, a blind window, which used to show to whom the wall belonged.

The interiors have a more sophisticated use of materials in relation to the tradition, the light and the feeling of space itself. Brick and concrete are used to show the structure, just as the exterior, but in addition, the wood warms up the living spaces and several plaster surfaces are used, such as smooth texture combined with a more rustic one, which was traditionally used inside the houses.

A combination of traditional tactile characteristics with more contemporary ones make the space rich of tactile experience.

Type of presentation: Sketches and photos, accompanied by small samples of the materials and surface textures used.

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Theme/ Climate Project: Dida House, Prizren, Kosovo, 2006

Description of the project: It was designed for Dida family as a summer house in the Shar Mountains to host large family gatherings and at the same time to serve as a mountain retreat.

The project develops from the central idea that the inside and outside of the house should stimulate each other while acting as platform to enjoy the nature. All the rooms are around central void of three levels connecting all the parts of the house vertically and diagonally. Dramatic cantilevered floors contribute to the power of this poetic composition.

The climate in this area is continental, with cold winters, but warm summers. The composition of the volumes, the big cantilever and the big glass opening create different scenarios on how the sunlight and energy is absorbed or kept away from the exterior/interior spaces.

The house includes a pool in the exterior facing south, which is an oasis during the hot summer days.

Type of presentation: Photos with the study of sunlight/shadow of the house and particular interior spaces.

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Theme/ Topography Project: Buqalla Hotel and Pools, Kosovo, 2002-2008

Description of the project: The building is very closely related to the particularity of this type of landscape and its main topographic elements: river and mountains, both determining the valley in which the project takes place.

The project is the result of continues changes. Based on the idea of meeting between man and nature, platforms are placed in the middle of the nature. While the people are walking around, architecture makes them see themselves and the nature.

The terrace between the Hotel and the pools is the bridge across the river.

The poured concrete structure is clear and it’s very easy to understand how the building works. The outside and the inside are interwoven dramatically in all levels.

The water was to be taken from the river, so the pools had to follow the river. The building of the whole complex was organized and managed by the architect and the family of owners.

Type of presentation: Sketches, drawings and physical model

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Theme/Tectonic Project: “Elshani House�, 2005 Description of the project: Elshani House has a clear and visible order. Inside and out, the materials express the structural truth. The bearing elements are concrete, while the house walls are built of red local brick. The outer wall of bricks is stressed at irregular intervals of thin strips of white marble.

They show the nature of this second skin of the house that fits on the inside wall by metal staples. The modest exterior disappears once inside.

The wealth of forms and spaces is revealed to the visitor. The space expands in all directions. The light is everywhere and brings out the details. The bearing elements are concrete while the rest is in white plaster. The structure made of pillars of 30x30cm and the concrete slab, remain raw concrete formwork. The pillars are arranged in space in particular way. Thus the volume is hollow inside and works according to principles that highlight the sense of space. A spatial continuity links the three levels of the house. The light is soft and anticipates spaces. A vertical ascension is present and invites visitors to an architectural promenade.

The rich interior contrasts with the modest exterior, but the principle of truth allows a clear reading of the spatial and structural functioning of the house.

Type of presentation: Sketches, drawing and photographs hanged on the panels

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Theme/ Tradition Project: Shkëmbi Tower, Kosovo Pavilion at Venice Biennale, 2014

Description of the project: Despite tradition is present in bigger or smaller amounts in many of Paçarizi’s projects, the sculpture “Shkëmbi Tower” is not just a design object of the architect, but a representation of his approach to architecture in Kosovo and his relationship with tradition.

In the framework of resistance to “imposed modernity” the exhibition curated by Paçarizi plays with the idea of visibility and erasure. 720 “shkëmbi”, in Albania is a very old word meaning chair and rock at the same time. The traditional chair itself is a resistance tool, being the oldest part of a furniture which has passed centuries almost unchanged until the nowadays.

Type of presentation: Projection of a video showing fragments of the exhibition accompanied from an interview with the architect.

The visitors could sit on the traditional “shkëmbi”s.

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1.4 Concept, flow of people

a Reaction to an imposed modernity Through a Critical regionalism.

Definition of an Architecture of resistance According to a strong local identity

The concept of the exhibition is strictly related to the resistance/opposition of the architect’s works against the imposed modernity that has shaped the Albanian and Kosovo landscape. The exhibition is articulated through the presentation of his work according to a specific lens.

The architectural projects will be presented through some aspects/topics that characterize the architecture of resistance itself, such as, local light, climate, topography, tectile, tectonics. His attitude in architectural works is exhibited on the framework of critical regionalism.

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tradition Hemp textile sacks are the identiďŹ cation elemtent for tradition (related to an agricultural one) in Kosovo before foreign inuences.

Until late 1950, Kosovar cities had still a medieval structure. Few of those traditional and regional features are inhereted nowadays.

Tradition

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imposed modernity Metal structures composed by the steel bars used in reinforced concrete structure are the symbolic presence of the modernity in Kosovo.

The reinforcement steel structures give a feeling of brutal interventions done in the regional environment of Kosovo.

Metal continuous elements

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architecture of resistance The architectural projects of Paçarizi will be presented through six aspects/topics of the architecture of resistance. The sections are characterized by lightness and brightness, showing the good behaviour of Paçarizi’s architecture to the context, that at the same time is resistance with elegance to the imposed modernity.

Fragmentation through six thematic sections

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visitor’s experience Establishment of the circulation concept through the adaption of the metal structures that will allow the visitors to move freely between the tradition, modernity and architecture of Paçarizi.

Establishment of the circulation concept through the adaption of the metal structures

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The areas defined by the white panels correspond to the rooms that will host the presentation of the architectural projects

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The areas defined by the steel structures correspond to the circulation areas that will host the projected videos of the Kosovo landscape

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Projections of Kosovo landscape, tradition and modernity

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Architect’s works exhibitied

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Different paths solutions:

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free itinerary, no hierarchy

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Example of path in a

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space view from above

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“free-plan� concept and modularity

Rigid elements

6 thematic sections with given proportions

Flexible elements

metal structures adapt to different conditions and can be increased or reduced in quantity depending on the space available

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2m

Combination 1

Combination 2

Combination 3

Combination 4

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1.5 Designed experience

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1.6 Designed devices

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Light Mother Teresa Museum Time-lapse videos on one side of the exhibiting space and drawings, sketches and photos on the other in function of showing light distribution in the museum.

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Tactile Garden House Traditional Albanian wall with openings filled with different material samples or surface patterns used by Gezim Pacairizi in the garden house. On the other side drawings, sketches and photos explaining Garden House

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Climate DIDA House Photography of interior, sunlight intake and shadows, filling up the hanging panels.

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Topography Buqalla Hotel and Pools Physical model showing Buqalla Hotel and Pools in its context. Easy to perceive the meaning and importance of topography of that specific site. Supporting sketches, drawings and photos hanged on the panels.

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Tectonic Eleshani House Model showing importance of differentation of materials used in Eleshani House as division of structural bearing and non-bearing elements.

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Tradition Visibility-imposed Modernity Projection of a video showing fragments of the exhibition accompanied from an interview with the architect. The visitors could sit on the traditional “shkëmbi”s.

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Projections Projections on the floors outside the exhibiting clusters will be present next to the metal structures. They would show fragments of traditional Kosovo and recent transformations of this region

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1.7 Tecnical drawings

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5

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steel structure for hanging panels (optional)

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200

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hanging panels translucent material + linen fabric

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30

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hemp sacks ďŹ lled with sand

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350

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steel concrete-reinforcing type of structures

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elevation_scale 1:50

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steel structure for hanging: rectangular cross-sections steel proďŹ les (50x50 mm) steel hooks steel strings

steel hooks LED tubes white steel U proďŹ le (5x5x0.5cm) white custum-made translucent panels thin white linen textile for the outer part of the panel

detail_hanging panels_scale 1:5

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