The mouse got the flu, so he sat in the jeep/ and traveled a long way to be examined by Doctor Cat.
Ljubivoje Ršumović, Mish got the flu
"Architecture in Montenegro 1965 - 1990 (Through the prism of the "Borbine" award)" is the title of Rifat Alihodžić's book. The book was recently published by the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts.
We skip the text, of course, we are only interested in the thumbnails... on page 19 of Rifat's book, we have photo number 1 - and it says: "Ivan Vitić: Hotel "Sljeme", Rijeka, 1965."
It's Ivan Vitić, it's "Sljeme" ("Panorama" would be more precise), it's 1965 - well done Rifate - but it's not a hotel - it's a motel - and it's not Rijeka, is it?
Do we know Rifat? Or should I return the index to you immediately?
So, my dear Rifate - there are five motels in the chain of Vitić motels "Sljeme" - so we have completed projects for the motel "Sljeme" near Rijeka (Pavlovac above Preluka - which is closer to Opatija than Rijeka, if we are honest - Federal "Borbina" award for 1965 . year), and in Trogir and Biograd - all three were realized in 1965 - and the unrealized projects of the "Sljeme" motel in Umag and Primošten - with the fact that all projects - both realized and unrealized - relate to 1964. Speaking of Vitić's motels, we should also mention the unrealized motel project in Trieste from 1962 - which later served as a template for all projects from the "Sljeme" series.
I happened to have "Architektura", the professional and scientific magazine of the Association of Croatian Architects, number 1 (217) - Monograph issue of Architecture Ivan Vitić - so, my dear Rifate, I would like to refer you to Tomislav Pavelić's text, entitled "Vitić's motels - Trieste, Umag, Rijeka, Biograd, Trogir" - you have it on pages 98 - 103, and on page 100 you have - correctly addressed - the same photo that you tried in your unfortunate book under number 1 - and incorrectly addressed - so please check the location of that motel that you - wrongly - claim is in Rijeka. So, the question is not difficult: Trogir or Biograd?
On page 19 we also have photo number 2 - so it says: "Milan Popović and Vladislav Plamenac: Hotel "Oliva", Petrovac na Moru, 1965." This "Petrovac na Moru" in a book backed by CANU - not SANU - makes me very sad. What would be missing from a simple one - Petrovac? And Rifate? We know that Petrovac is on the sea - and when we talk about that Petrovac - then we will talk about Petrovac on the Mlava.
We skip a few pages... we have to... on page 22 we have photos 7 and 8 - so he says: Ivan Vitić: Hotel "Sljeme" Rijeka, Republic of Croatia, Federal ("Borbina" - op.a.) award for 1965 . year" - everything is OK, except that it is not a hotel but a motel, dear Rifate. Also, I don't know how you missed that the motel in photos 7 and 8 is definitely different from the motel in photo 1. - and you say it's the same motel... black Rifate.
We skip again... on page 28 we have a photo of the 18th - so it says: "Đuro Biskupović: Hotel "Fjord", Kotor, 1966." - not Đuro Biskupović, black Rifate - but Đorđe Biskupović - and not 1966 - but 1965. That hotel received its first guests in the middle of the hot summer of 1965.
And this below - on photo 19 - is not "Zeta film" - but the Budva House of Culture.
It is already possible to guess what kind of miracles await us in Rifat's book. In the name of that, we're going to skip a hundred pages... we have to... and here it is, page 106. - that's roughly in the middle of Rifat's book - let's see what Rifat did here - because he did something, guaranteed.
So let's go to the second paragraph. "The Zagreb magazine "Architektura" published a critical review of Zeković's building," writes Rifat. It should be emphasized right away - about the building of Social and Political Organizations in Titograd/Podgorica, designed by Radosav Zeković - realized in 1979 and awarded with the Republic (Montenegro) "Borbin" award in the same year.
To call what was published in Architecture a critical review is an exaggeration. It is actually just a small display within a wider display - the "Battle" Award - as Zdenko Kolacio, the author of the display, calls it - for the year 1979.
"Besides the praise, there is a remark," says Rifat further and quotes Kolacija: "But the author clearly exaggerated in his way of structuring the columns of the open ground floor of the administrative body of the building." - to then object to Kolaci as only he knows how: "It is difficult to agree with this statement because the introduction of constructively illogical transverse beams and short sycamores that "carry" the transverse beams represent a typical example of a successful provocation, which engages our perception and introduces the observer to the analytical procedure ". And then some more typically Rifatian ramblings, for good measure: "In architecture, as a visual art, such bravura can only be a quality, because the creation of perceptual illusions is also such an important tool of architects".
Well done Rifate: clap, clap, clap - you deserve applause - you can see that you are trying - you will get twins in the end, don't worry.
But let's see what Zdenko Kolacio actually wrote about Zeković's building - by chance I have that issue of Arhitektura (Journal of the Association of Croatian Architects, 172+3/'80) at hand - and he says: "It is an object that with three volumes arranged in the orthogonal system harmoniously connects with the urban and at the same time natural features of the landscape. The dialogue between architecture and the landscape is correctly and skillfully expressed here by the arrangement and size of the volumes, as well as their gradation." This, just quoted part - Rifat does not state - for who knows what reasons - just as he does not state the terribly important next sentence: "However, the content and function of the building is expressed by the monumental design of the facades".
I'm afraid that Rifat can't even guess what exactly this "monumental design of facades" refers to. Namely, Kolacio in chosen words (with a slight dose of sarcasm, I would say) alludes to the strengthening of the structure - i.e. to Zeković's structural mannerism - which Zeković probably reaches for precisely in order to emphasize the importance of the content and function of the building - but also to underline the authorship with a move that leaves the confines of structural logic. Zeković definitely exaggerates - but exaggerates in moderation - managing to further justify his exaggeration by subordinating structural inconsistencies in the open ground floor of the building to a volumetric composition - which is not so much monumental as it is monumentalized.
The key argument in support of Zeković's building of Social and Political Organizations in Titograd/Podgorica should be found in a comparative analysis of Zeković's first-prized competition solution - from 1965 - and the realization itself from 1979. What happened in those 14 years? A lot happened - but let's say that in the seventies, the refined structural logic, and the lightness and elegance characteristic of the sixties - especially the first half of the sixties - were no longer in play, but rather something we could call individual expression - which had its price, of course ... rather, we moved away from the topic.
I want to say that Rifat misquotes Kolacius, who says: "But, (Rifat forgets this important comma - op.a.) the author obviously exaggerated in his way of structuring the columns of the open ground floor part of the administrative body of the building". So, Colacio says: "...of the open ground floor part of the administrative body of the building" - and Rifat incorrectly quotes Colacio: "...of the open ground floor of the part of the administrative body of the building" - which clearly indicates Rifat's deplorable deconcentration - which, unfortunately, disqualifies him from of any serious story.
OK, I won't talk about Rifat's mistakes anymore - and there's no point - if I continued it would be a rant.
In the next issue, we will talk about Rifat's book in the context of the general situation on the CG architectural scene - as it is - and it is none.
Bonus video:
