Although they were supposed to move in several years ago, the Cinematheque of Montenegro, the Film Center and the Music Center will have to wait a few more months before entering their new home - the former Home of the Army.
The reconstruction of the Army House building officially started in 2008, and everything was supposed to be finished in 2012. However, the work was not finished even after seven years.
In the meantime, promises about the imminent move-in of three cultural institutions kept coming, and the last failed move-in was in July.
The contract on the reconstruction of the Army House, the Ministry of Culture and the Directorate of Public Works was signed at the end of 2008
The Directorate of Public Works told "Vijesta" that the planned deadline for the completion of all works and the move-in of cultural institutions is expected in the first quarter of this year, that is, by the end of March.
"The delay in the implementation of this project is primarily caused by the fact that it was about reconstruction works. Also, the work on the production of stage audio-video equipment, stage mechanics and the final work on the interior production requires the engagement and synchronization of a large number of specialized companies, which further slowed down the dynamics of the performance", explained to "Vijesta" from the Directorate, adding that all these problems represent problems of an organizational nature that did not cause an increase in construction costs.
The institution managed by Rešad Nuhodžić told "Vijesta" at the end of December that less than 12,5 million euros had been spent until then.
The building has two floors, a basement, a ground floor and three floors, with a total area of slightly more than 10.500 square meters.
For the needs of the Music Center, a large concert hall with 440 seats and a small concert hall with 190 seats, rehearsal rooms for symphony and folk orchestras, as well as rooms for performers have been promised. Among other things, depots for archiving films and video materials and screening rooms are intended for the Montenegrin Cinematheque. The film center will use the halls and accompanying facilities of the mentioned institutions.
The building will also contain common rooms, such as an artists' club, a restaurant, etc.
"By putting the former Army Home into operation, we will not only get a representative and modern building, but opportunities will open up for the improvement of the cultural offer, the production of new artistic programs, significantly better use of cultural capacities and its sustainability, as well as for international cooperation and exchange," he said. the Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović told the members of the Parliament of Montenegro last spring.
At the end of May 2017, the Directorate of Public Works signed a contract worth EUR 4,5 million with the Podgorica company "Simes saga" for interior design, stage, audio and video technology and equipment for cultural institutions.
The contract specified that the works should be completed in five months, that is, by October last year.
This document specifies that payment will be made via deferred payment in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
"If the contractor, through no fault of the client, does not complete the works on the facility that are the subject of this contract within the agreed period, he is obliged to pay to the client a penalty of 1,0% (one per thousand) of the contracted price for each day of exceeding the agreed deadline for completion of the facility. The amount of the agreed penalty cannot exceed five percent of the agreed price of the works", the contract specified.
If the contractor through his own fault calls into question the deadline and completion of the object of this contract according to the dynamic work execution plan and within the agreed deadline for its completion or by the client in an extended period, then the client has the right to take away all or part of the remaining unfinished works from the contractor without his special consent assign performance to another contractor.
Bonus video:
