Welcome to Sarajevo: transforming the Historical Museum in Venice
The all-too-recent wounds from war and destruction have left the city of Sarajevo with several issues – political, but also urban and architectural ones. A new exhibition in Venice, entitled 'Sarajevo Now: The People’s Museum' and launched at the 2016 Architecture Biennale, takes its cue from the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina and how it 'epitomises this phenomenon,' while trying to help the city to turn a corner from its traumatic past.
Conceived by Zurich-based architects Baier Bischofberger – headed by Florian Baier and Nina Baier-Bischofberger - and Alfredo Brillembourg and Hubert Klumpner from Urban-Think Tank (U-TT), the show, an official biennale collateral participation that was created in partnership with the museum, has a fairly straightforward premise.
'The Urban-Think Tank identified the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina as an "agent of change" for Sarajevo last year with their "Reactivate Sarajevo" initiative,' explains Baier-Bischofberger. 'As with other cities in crisis where the group had pursued projects, such as Athens, they investigated Sarajevo to identify sites for intervention that would have a broader catalytic impact. The museum immediately identified itself as such a place.'
The building, inaugurated in 1963 and designed to embody the socialist dreams of its era and region, fell into serious disrepair and neglect post the war. Now, a series of actions endeavour to 're-activate' it, raising awareness and creating a proposal to transform it into a power of positive social change for the city. 'It has been kept open and operating by its staff – many volunteers – and the people of Sarajevo, despite an ongoing political conflict that meant the government refused to provide funds or support,' continue the architects. 'Although the physical structure is deteriorating, as an institution it has become a vital civic space of dialogue, culture and education.'
The design presented in this show sees the building wrapped in a transparent vinyl skin that leaves the modernist building’s patina and damage unaltered, while creating a strong juxtaposition between old and new. 'The project attracted Florian and me as an exploration of how architecture can impact and improve the lives of the people of a city,' says Baier-Bischofberger. 'In this case, how a cultural institution can be a force for change and reinvigoration in a city still suffering after a war. The project has the potential to be an example for many other cultural institutions worldwide that are going to need new strategies of reactivation after conflicts have ended.'
At the same time, this protection, suspended from scaffolding, seals off the site, sheltering it from heat and rain. This will buy the museum time, explains the team, allowing it to continue to be a public space and staging point for interventions.
Presenting the museum as a force for urban regeneration, the exhibition includes architectural work, photography and film, as well as a retrospective of the Urban-Think Tank’s research projects from all over the world. Having travelled to Zurich and Munich, the displays will remain in Venice until the end of the month, before it goes to Sarajevo.
INFORMATION
‘Sarajevo Now: The People’s Museum’ is on show in Venice until 30 June. For more information visit Baier Bischofberger’s website and Urban-Think Tank’s website
ADDRESS
Arsenale Nord, Tesa 99
Venice
Italy
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
The moments fashion met art at the 60th Venice Biennale
The best fashion moments at the 2024 Venice Biennale, with happenings from Dior, Golden Goose, Balenciaga, Burberry and more
By Jack Moss Published
-
Crispin at Studio Voltaire, in Clapham, is a feast for all the senses
New restaurant Crispin at Studio Voltaire is the latest opening from the brains behind Bistro Freddie and Bar Crispin, with interiors by Jermaine Gallagher
By Billie Brand Published
-
Vivienne Westwood’s personal wardrobe goes up for sale in landmark Christie’s auction
The proceeds of ’Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection’, running this June, will go to the charitable causes she championed during her lifetime
By Jack Moss Published
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Louis Kahn's modernist mastermind celebrated through new collaborations
The legacy of modernist architect Louis Kahn lives on to inspire a new generation, thanks to collaborations with family and fans
By Marina Cashdan Published
-
Royan Architecture Month showcases French modernism by the sea
Royan Architecture Month 2024 launches in the French city, where many travel to see midcentury builds by the sea, from Notre Dame church to Palais des Congrès
By Stacy Suaya Published
-
Giovanni Michelucci’s dramatic concrete church in the Italian Dolomites
Giovanni Michelucci’s concrete Church of Santa Maria Immacolata in the Italian Dolomites is a reverently uplifting memorial to the victims of a local disaster
By Jonathan Glancey Published
-
Christian de Portzamparc’s Dior Geneva flagship store dazzles and flows
Dior’s Geneva flagship by French architect Christian de Portzamparc has a brand new, wavy façade that references the fashion designer's original processes using curves, cuts and light
By Herbert Wright Published
-
‘London Estates’ surveys the architecture and influence of the capital’s council-built homes
‘London Estates: Modernist Council Housing 1946-1981’, a new book by FUEL, is the perfect place to start for inspiration on how architecture can improve every sector of society
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Afrobeats and modernism: how the concrete ‘ruins’ of Lagos become a stage
We explore the relationship between Afrobeats and modernism in Lagos, as the Nigerian capital’s concrete structures become a stage for the music genre
By Olorunfemi Adewuyi Published
-
An Uetikon house embraces minimalism, light, and its Swiss lake views
This Uetikon home by Pablo Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados (PPAA) sets itself apart from traditional Swiss housing, with a contemporary design that connects with nature
By Tianna Williams Published