Dynamic City Prishtina // Kosovo  

The city of Prishtina has little potential to generate future development. The city is of little value to tourism, and has only a few international businesses, mostly regional trade, and a high unemployment rate. Still, sixty percent of the population in Prishtina is under the age of 25, and combined with the established state university and the increasing number of private universities, there is evidently huge potential for the city’s future.  Additionally, as the capital of Kosovo, Prishtina stands for national identity and history, important aspects essential to future development.

In order to relate the main issues of youth, history, national identity, education, and economy in a dynamic way, we developed three strategic typologies. These typologies are placed at crucial points in the inner city to form a network of otherwise unrelated places. Programmatically, these typologies facilitate exchanges and relationships among youth, history, national identity, education, and economy. To achieve this kind of exchange, the main incentive must be to support non-academic education and youth entrepreneurship. Typologies included housing for young entrepreneurs and students with minimally equipped apartments and collective functions; the incubator, enabling entrepreneurship by offering small office spaces, information services, collective office functions, and financial support; and finally,  the public community centre, offering education outside the academic realm via a news and information centre, along with a café and a small exhibition and performance space. In terms of space, these typologies are points of attraction and enhance exchanges in the city centre, while at the same time forming a bridge to neighbouring districts of the city. 

These three typologies work on social, educational, cultural, and economic levels to bring the city’s youth into a position where they can participate in and contribute to the economic development of the city and stimulate growth of local businesses and investments, independent of global capital. This growth will eventually make top-down planning of global typologies valuable to local business, and therefore it will also become sustainable.

Throughout the different stages of the project we aim to synchronise and empower independent urban and economic developments in the city with minimal investments and maximum effects.

In November 2013 the project has being exhibited in the Kosovo National Museum. The exhibition had an extensive media coverage on all major national TV channels,  and newspapers and web portals. The project was supported by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Prishtina, ERSTE Stiftung and the Kosovo Ministry of Culture, Youth, Sports.

A collaboration of Archis Interventions, SEE, Kai Vöckler, Thilo Fuchs / Archis Interventions, Prishtina, Florina Jerliu, Visar Geci, Vlora Navakazi / Hackenbroich Architekten, Wilfried Hackenbroich

Workshop participants 2013

Florina Jerliu, Archis Interventions_Prishtina

Visar Geci, Archis Interventions_Prishtina

Vlora Navakazi, Archis Interventions_Prishtina

Wilfried Hackenbroich, Hackenbroich Architekten

Kai Vöckler, Archis Interventions_SEE

Thilo Fuchs, Archis Interventions_SEE

Workshop contributors 2013

Mrinë Godanca, student of  architecture in University of Prishtina, Prishtina

Sune Fredskild, student of urban planning and geography in Roskilde University, Copenhagen

Zana Sokoli, student of  architecture in University of Prishtina, Prishtina

Post-production 2013

Florina Jerliu, Archis Interventions_Prishtina

Visar Geci, Archis Interventions_Prishtina

Vlora Navakazi, Archis Interventions_Prishtina

Wilfried Hackenbroich, Hackenbroich Architekten

Kai Vöckler, Archis Interventions_SEE

Thilo Fuchs, Archis Interventions_SEE

Mrinë Godanca, student of  architecture in University of Prishtina, Prishtina

Sune Fredskild, student of urban planning and geography in Roskilde University, Copenhagen

Zana Sokoli, student of  architecture in University of Prishtina, Prishtina

Workshop participants 2009

Florina Jerliu, Archis Interventions, Prishtina, Kosova

Kai Vöckler, Archis Interventions, Berlin, Germany

Thilo Fuchs, Archis Interventions, Berlin, Germany

Wilfried Hackenbroich, Hackenbroich Architekten, Berlin, Germany

Elvida Pallaska, Institute for Spatial Planning, MESP, Kosova

Vlora Navakazi, Archis Interventions, Prishtina, Kosova

Mentor Haziri, Max, Prishtina, Kosova

Nazmije Tora, Urban Planning Sector, Municipality of Prishtina, Kosova

Mejrushe Kastrati, Urban Planning Sector, Municipality of Prishtina, Kosova

Workshop contributors 2009

Cristina Antonelli, Archis Interventions, Berlin, Germany

Visar Geci, Archis Interventions Prishtina, Kosova

Gezim Kastrati, architect, Prishtina, Kosova

Shega Mazreku, student of architecture, Prishtina, Kosova

Feim Igrishta, student of architecture, Prishtina, Kosova

Post-production 2009

Florina Jerliu, Archis Interventions, Prishtina, Kosova

Kai Vöckler, Archis Interventions, Berlin, Germany

Wilfried Hackenbroich, Hackenbroich Architekten, Berlin, Germany

Thilo Fuchs, Archis Interventions, Berlin, Germany

Christina Antonelli, Archis Interventions, Berlin, Germany