None of the three projects for a concert hall in the former "Gërmi" can be done without 10 million euros

The concretization of the conceptual project for a concert hall in the former building of "Gërmia" is still far away, but whichever of the three projects it will choose, the Municipality of Pristina needs at least 10 million euros for the works. The cost turns out to be close to the value lost in 2019 from EU funds due to disputes between the powers. And in this year's budget, there is not even ten percent of the estimated cost

From 10 to 12 million euros is calculated to be the cost for finalizing each of the three projects for the concert hall in the capital. After the publication of the jury's evaluation, the Municipality of Pristina must follow a series of procedures to start the work for the implementation of the project, through which it aims to transform the former house of goods "Gërmia" into a concert hall. The cost turns out to be close to the value lost in 2019 from EU funds, the cause of disputes between the powers.

The municipality aims to realize the project that received the most points: "One Roof - Germia for Concert Hall" realized by the world-renowned architect, Japanese Kengo Kuma, in partnership with the Kosovar architect Bekim Ramku and the team of engineers from Istanbul and New York, Ahmed Topbas and Akim Mühendislik. The municipal government has the grace to open a call for companies interested in the construction of the hall in August. But until then it has to go through some filters. And in this year's budget, there is not even ten percent of the estimated cost.

Approval by the Kosovo Institute for the Protection of Monuments

Since October 2018, the building is under state protection after receiving the status of a monument by being included in the List of cultural heritage under temporary protection. For this reason, the Municipality will send the winning project to the Kosovo Institute for the Protection of Monuments so that the Commission can assess whether this conceptual project, awarded with 50 thousand euros, can be implemented in the monument. The jury composed of Mohsen Mostafavi, Andrija Rusan and Han Tümertekin, distinguished professors of architecture from Harvard, Zagreb and Istanbul together with two representatives of the Association of Architects of Kosovo, one from the Kosovo Institute for the Protection of Monuments, as well as another from the Municipality of Pristina, have decided that in second place with 74.84 points will be the project of the operators "Shkëlqim Osmani BI - Vizion project, MA Studio & Partners", which had the number 1897. The financial reward will be 30 thousand euros. The project with the operators "Arbër Sadiki BI, G+A Architects" was ranked third with the number 6969. It received 70.12 points and the financial reward will be 20 thousand euros. Apart from Sadiki, co-author is also Gëzim Paçarizi.

All three projects aim to preserve the external facade of the former building of "Gërmia" as a sign of the architecture of the 70s. And the third goes beyond that. It is designed to preserve a good part of the structure of the building.

also Culture 21 under 2024 The concert hall with the project has 800 seats, the cost is over 30 million euros

The Director of the Directorate of Culture in the Municipality of Pristina, Adrian Berisha, said that after the approval of the project by the IKMM, a company will be contracted which will draw up the specifications and preliminary measures.

"We as a Municipality have been determined for the first project since the three projects are within the cost that the Municipality can cover for the realization of this project", said Berisha.

In November last year, the mayor of Pristina, Shpend Ahmeti, said that if the adapted building will cost 10 million euros, they will need the help of the Council of Europe, but if it costs 5 million euros, the Municipality will finance it himself.

For this year, the Municipality, according to the Law on the budget, has allocated 900 thousand euros. Of them, 100 will be spent only on rewards for the three idea projects.

"In the mid-term framework, we will see that we commit the means for the next three years for the realization of this project", said Berisha. The plans are to start the works this year. At least that's how it's planned.

"Sometimes an economic operator is chosen for a project and then another operator complains and there are delays. If it goes well, we pass the project to IKMM and make a negotiated agreement with an economic operator, we believe that by August the procedures for contracting the company to start the infrastructure project can begin. For such a big project, the works can last two or three years", said Berisha.

Hall inside the former "Gërmija"

The co-author of the winning project, Bekim Ramku, has said that they have fully complied with the design task set by the Municipality. The top-rated project aims to preserve the "iconic facade" and add new recreational areas next to the current building, including a gallery.

"We tried to preserve the physical appearance of all facades as much as possible. The gallery that was part of the tender file program has also been added," said Ramku. He added that the exterior facade of the main building will be preserved as it is.

also Culture 17th of 2021 The next competition for a concert hall, suspicions about possible scams

"Besides the internal modification, the others remain as they are. And in building C, where the jazz hall will be, the exterior facade cannot be preserved", he said.

According to the study done by Ramku with collaborators, the cost of implementation is 11.6 million euros. Ramku has said that it is a measure taken according to the concept-design and has increased by 10 percent. "When the detailed project is made, the exact cost can be seen. We have foreseen the most expensive things. When the detailed project is done, the cost can drop," he said.

The project that took the second place envisages the transformation of the former "Gërmia" building with "the preservation of the original facade", new entrances, recreational spaces, public interaction spaces, as well as the main auditorium with 800 seats. According to the projections in the video, this concept envisages the combination of the ancient facade of the building with modern glass elements, within which the circular object of the hall is elevated.

Urbanist Ervin Taçi, on behalf of the consortium "Shkelqim Osmani BI - Vizion Project, MA Studio & Partners", on the day KOHA reported on the winners, said that "Gërmia Concert Hall" is a golden opportunity for Prishtina to bring back to life a famous object of the time with a new impulse that should actually look to the future. According to Taç, their project has an implementation cost of around 10 million euros.

The former "Gërmia" as a gallery and concert hall on the side

12 million is the concretization of the project that the jury ranked third.

The project of Arbë Sadiki and Gëzim Paçarizi, apart from the interior, does not affect the current building much. It is intended to be an art gallery and have two halls.

"I have publicly committed to preserve the building and, through revitalization, turn it into a contemporary art gallery. Since the Municipality without any strong argument wanted to make it a concert hall, Gëzim Paçarizin and I have come with an offer for the main building to be preserved and to be an art gallery. And the concert halls should be in free parts of the plot from the lower side", said Sadiki on Wednesday. Unlike the other two projects, the duo aimed for the main hall to go beyond the capacity of 800 seats, as planned by the Municipality. Sadiki has said that based on the design task of the Municipality and the other two projects, the monument should be demolished and not transformed into something else.

"It's completely useless to collapse and rebuild," he said.

also Culture June 5, 2021 The municipality of Pristina intends to build the concert hall with its own 11 million euros

As a result of disagreements between the local and central levels, the Municipality of Pristina in 2019 had lost the opportunity to benefit from 11.4 million euros for this project within the funds of the European Commission, "IPA 2019". They were re-destined for the decommissioning of the "Kosova A" thermal power plant. That same year, the object entered the List of cultural heritage under temporary protection.

Architects Arbër Sadiki and Bekim Ramku had pushed the campaign for the building to be a monument. At that time, the Municipality was planning the demolition and construction of a new concert hall. Even, Bekim Ramku on behalf of "Docomono Kosova" had organized a petition for the non-demolition of the building and had requested from the Ministry of Culture that the building be a monument.