This year’s Salon of Architecture, the most prestigious architecture event in Serbia, is organized and hosted by the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade under the slogan “In the Mirror… Come, Look at Yourself in the Mirror.” Curator of the Salon of Architecture and a catalogue editor Ljiljana Miletic Abramovic, the Acting Director of the Museum of Applied Arts, presents this 34th edition of the Salon of Architecture to International Radio Serbia. Dusica Maticki has more in our regular feature CULTURAL PANORAMA.
The Salon of Architecture is the first class architectural and cultural event in Serbia and a specific „mirror“ of the various architectural achievements and searches, said Miletic Abramovic. According to her, this renowned event gathers architects from the country, the region, from abroad, affirming the image of the modern architectural scene, directing one’s attention to what’s important and what is well realized in the field of architecture. This year, applications were received for 210 works, of which the selection committee chose 100 for competition, our collocutor stated.
The jury, consisting of respectable local and international professionals Vladan Djokic, Vasa Perovic, Maria Hellström Reiner, Vladimir Lojanica and Ajla Selenic, awarded the prestigious Grand Prix of the Salon to Dejan Miljkovic, Jovan Mitrovic and Branko Pavic for the project of conservation, revitalization and adaptation of Nebojsa Tower, and restoration and construction of part of the coastal rampart of the Belgrade Fortress. Gran Prix was awarded for contribution to accessibility of cultural-historical heritage to modern functional requirements, explains Miletic Abramovic. "The reconstruction of this cultural and historical monument has been executed moderately and properly, with a reduced architectural language and measured expression. Respecting cultural heritage, the architects actually reaffirmed values of this cultural monument. It has been converted into a museum and a cultural center, so that the very architecture and theme settings in the new exhibition space can be an example of how such an intervention should be carried out, "said Vladimir Lojanica, the jury member. "Grand Prix that we received for this project is a great honor. It is a great pleasure to have as a team of Faculty of Architecture participated in this project, with the entire team of professionals and associates, "said Mitrovic. One of the authors of the award-winning project, Jovan Mitrovic stated that with the allocation of funds for rehabilitation and reconstruction of Nebojsa Tower recognized the importance of having this cultural and historical monument turned into the important point on the cultural map of the city. "Grand Prix that we received for this project is a great honor. It is a great pleasure to have as a team of Faculty of Architecture participated in this project, with the entire team of professionals and associates, "said Mitrovic. Curator of the Salon Miletic Abramovic indicates that the prize awarded the project for reconstruction of the Senj mine in the museum complex, indicating that the revitalization of the industrial heritage will be increasingly present in our environment. According to her, each year the Salon presents a large number of local and foreign guests in its accompanying program and raises a number of topics relevant to the contemporary architecture and society. This year, the visiting exhibition will be dedicated to a cross-section of Italian architecture from 2000 to 2010. The accompanying exhibition is dedicated to the last year's Grand Prix laureate Branislav Mitrovic. Opened on March 28, the Salon of Architecture will close on April 30.