Last Saturday I was engaged in retrospection - I reminded you, dear audience, of a couple of brilliant moments from the past year - and this time I feel the need to try to determine myself, at least in principle, towards the future. I would start, in that name, from a couple of assumptions that, I'm afraid, will determine the framework of my interests in the coming period, and which have matured in the past period.
So, from the moment you Pavle Radulović retired from the position of Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism - it was at the beginning of November, back in 2019 - things definitely started to collapse.
I'm not saying, please, that until the moment of Radulović's resignation, roses were blooming for us - quite the opposite. Trio Fantasticus - composed of: Brano Gvozdenović (Gvozdo) - in the song the Minister of Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection (2009 - 2011) and Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism (2012 - 2016) - then Saint Gavrov Popović (Es Ji Pi) - the greatest Montenegrin planner and urban planner of all time - and finally a friend Ralevic - a visiting expert from the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade - traced a path of no return at the end of the 2000s and the beginning of the 10th century - so that, let's face it, for Radulović's husband, it would start to take on some outlines of something. Today it's hard to say what - because it is Duško (God from the machine) Markovic - who, in addition to the position of prime minister, also held the position of minister of sustainable development and tourism after Radulović stepped down - let things return to their starting positions. After (especially for DPS) the fateful August 30, 2020 - Boss Mitke and Mrs. Novaković Đurović, in the role of Minister of Ecology, Spatial Planning and Urbanism - demonstrated an enviable lack of interest in the formal side of the problem of the area of Montenegro - our mother - providing all the conditions for the smooth functioning of informal processes. It was built in the so-called in the post-depees period for all the money, maybe even more so than during the time of the hated DPS rule. And then he performed Odovic - this time in the role of Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property...
Let's all raise our hands: Odović! Go away! Go away!
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I can't, with all my reservations, not admire Odović - regardless of the fact that I can't get rid of the impression that Odović still doesn't know where to start - and the team around him isn't willing to start and direct him either - if it generally makes sense to move and direct Odović. However, Odović's obvious determination to determine in turn all individual cases of inappropriate behavior in the area that administratively belongs to the capital city of Podgorica - certainly deserves admiration.
First, Odović resolutely decided against Šaj's intention to build a hotel above the roundabout at the junction of blocks V and VI - there was also some sort of Decision banning construction, which I can't dig up. Immediately afterwards, Odović set his sights, just as decisively, on the notorious, illegally erected Lamela C at the foot of Ljubović - the very place where, once upon a time, a girl fell in love with a young man. Odović decided very decisively - both for the apartments in that unfortunate Lamela C - and for the tenants of Lamela C - who, deeply believing in the long-announced legalization of illegally built buildings, bought those illegal apartments from investors at a price lower than the real one. Odović also acted very decisively on the issue of that hole in Beogradska street - which is just one of several incredible moments in that street.
I am immensely pleased, therefore, I have to admit it to you, that Odović, our minister, does not lack either the will or the time to devote himself to every single problematic case of illegal or inappropriate behavior in the space on the territory of our capital city - for now. The question of the day, I suppose, is when Odović will start solving individual problems in other municipalities of Montenegro.
If we remember, on the other hand, that it is Vukovic, the former mayor of Podgorica, as soon as he took office - it was in May 2018 - led a determined battle against thirst - by locating points with cold spring water on the edges of Trg Nezavisnosti - the central square of Podgorica - and in the end it was almost impossible to Vuković dug a huge hole right at the position of Independence Square - a hole that, most likely, we would not be able to fill for the rest of the world - then we could assume that at some point Odović will also have grandiose visions - and that he will want to realize one of those vision.
Aside from the Draft Spatial Plan of Montenegro until 2040 and a set of drafts of new laws in the areas of planning, construction and legalization of illegally erected buildings. These are topics that hardly anyone mentions lately. I guess we have to wait for Odović to find the will and time to get into that very complex issue...
And until then, I will ignore Odović's actions, I promise - there is no more point in commenting on Odović's involvement in individual cases of which there are hundreds (thousands) in our unfortunate country(s)...
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Competitions (architectural, urban planning and architectural-urban planning) are a topic that I have not dealt with in the past period - and maybe I should have dealt with - to the joy of all sincere devotees of the cult of the purest virgin of architecture, our mother, glory and mercy to her.
I mentioned, here and there, the Competition for the Promenade in Budva - but Stevke, a member of the architectural works team, meanwhile former, did not think that the works from that big competition - 223.000 euros were set aside for the prizes alone - could be of interest to anyone - so they that's why he didn't make it public - and as for other contests, I noticed a few things here and there, but nothing inspired me enough to feel the need to make a public decision about it.
I want to say that architectural competitions are the perfect occasion to talk about architecture, to debate, to popularize architecture - and to write about architecture, of course - which would be the foundation of a self-aware, functional and vibrant architectural scene - which I dream of )...
If it were lucky, as it is not, we would insist, as a profession, on the transformation of ineffective so-called professional organizations into something effective - because precisely professional organizations would have to pull in the direction of revitalizing the architectural scene. Individual initiatives, no matter how meaningful and justified they are, mean nothing...
As for me, I will continue to tell you stories (for good night - rather than for good morning), regardless of everything and without any obligation, because it is still up to you - up to you, young architects - very young, very sweet - and it's up to you, equally young and equally sweet architects - to determine yourself according to the space that, I guess, you consider yours...
If you ask me - this ghostly silence is unbearable...
If you pull - because no one will pull for you - maybe it will turn out that this is nothing but that darkest hour before the dawn of a wonderful spring day...
Bonus video:
