The uproar over the demolition of the main annex of the "Crna Gora" hotel, with the city pub and salons, did not stop even yesterday, citizens and architects agree that this is a continuation of the years-long destruction of Podgorica, i.e. the demolition of buildings that bore witness to history and times. Architect Boško Banićević pointed out that the architect Vujadin Popović, who designed the hotel, had copyright over his work, and that after his death, his descendants have that right.
According to Banićević, according to the Law on Copyright Protection, permission should have been requested from them before any work on the hotel.
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The brother of the famous architect Vujadin Popović, who designed the hotel, Dragan Popović, told "Vijesta" that "no one asked him for anything", explaining that he spoke with the director of the company "Normal" Žarko Burić before the laying of the foundation stone, "when it was told not to touch anything".
Dragan Popovic
"They said they wouldn't, so they made this. They did it in the Mangup style in August when there are holidays and when nobody is there, like with the Kultura cinema," Popović said.
The descendant of the famous architect believes that a lawsuit should be filed in this case, but he has no confidence in either the domestic or the European judiciary.
It was not possible to get a response to Popović's claims from the company "Normal" yesterday. The new builders in Podgorica have documentation, they have an alibi, but they have no soul, according to architect Pavle Popović.
The demolition, as he says, not only of the tavern, but also of the spiritual center of the city, where society gathered from ordinary citizens to the entire constellation of the most eminent personalities, in all spheres of art, represents only a kind of egoism.
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"Unfortunately, capital has no mercy. The government is a kind of civil engineering or aggressive urbanism, when the people in power want everything, regardless of our warnings. In fact, the provincial spirit never reigned again," explains Popović.
Although everything is fleeting, Popović points out that a person must preserve tradition, because if it is destroyed, we will not have a future.
"This is a small environment, and Hilton is looking for a big space. But not at the expense of the parks and the famous hotel garden. We can't build America here, it doesn't work....What is the use of so many congress halls here", asked Popović.
Although everything is fleeting, Popović points out that a person must preserve tradition, because if it is destroyed, we will not have a future
Architect Boško Banićević assessed that citizens and tourists in Podgorica will soon be able to see only what was built in the last fifteen years, which will leave the image as if there was a desert there 50 or 80 years ago.
"There was no need to demolish buildings that were not so worn out, but they could be reconstructed or adapted. All advanced countries reconstruct such buildings, not demolish them, because that's how they destroy their existence and return to the meadow," said Banićević.
Emphasizing that Podgorica should present itself with agricultural, infrastructural and other facilities, Banićević emphasizes that citizens could not prevent the demolition of buildings that represented the spirit of Podgorica, but that the profession had to "nurture" them.
Banićević pointed out that according to his opinion and the opinion of four of his colleagues, who together have over 240 years of experience, the buildings that lived in the heart of the citizens of Podgorica and Montenegro are slowly being demolished in order for businessmen to profit.
"In a location, such as the hotel "Crna Gora", in a new building, a square meter can be sold for five or 10.000 euros. One of the businessmen who has connections with the authorities and money, showed his strength and agreed to demolish what should not be would get approval from the urban planner to build," Banićević said, pointing out that the location is attractive because of its location, which is a central point in the capital.
He believes that by demolishing that hotel, huge sums of money, which were invested in the last 15 years for its triple reconstruction, were thrown into the water.
"Those reconstructions cost the state much more than building the hotel. There can be no question of any justification here," said Banićević.
He pointed out that in the urban plans demolished buildings were kept as permanent, which means that they cannot be demolished, but only reconstructed.
"If demolition is planned in the urban plan, then it can be carried out. But here, it's as if there is no law or state, everything is thrown under your feet," Banićević said.
Architect Andrija Markuš claims that statements from the company "Normal" that they had to demolish the hotel annex due to stability are not true, because the demolished part was the most stable and survived the earthquake without a single crack.
"If the foundations are good for a five-story building, then they are also good for a single part such as an annex. The foundation has a conglomerate that has a high load-bearing capacity. Parts of the building with large supports, such as the city tavern, are resistant to static loads. Dynamic loads are wind or earthquake," said Markuš.
Explanation from Gvozdenović
The Club of Representatives of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) asked the Minister of Sustainable Development and Tourism, Branimir Gvozdenović, to explain whether the demolition of part of the hotel "Crna Gora" was carried out contrary to urban planning and technical conditions and the issued building permit. The request to Gvozdenović was sent by MP Neven Gošović on behalf of the Club of SNP Deputies.
"The building that represented part of the history and culture of the Capital City was demolished. The hotel was demolished as part of the works on the new Hilton hotel, according to the request.
The club of deputies demands that they be notified whether the urban planning and technical conditions, on the basis of which the main project was drawn up and the construction permit issued for the reconstruction of the hotel "Crna Gora", i.e. the construction of the hotel "Hilton", foresees the demolition of the annex - the left part of the hotel. which had a town tavern on the ground floor, with a distinctive terrace, and salons on the first floor.
"Whether the demolition was done contrary to the given urban planning and technical conditions, the certified project documentation and the issued construction permit", asked Gošović. The SNP deputies' club demands that they receive a decision on the location for the reconstruction of the "Montenegro" hotel, i.e. the construction of the "Hilton" hotel, the urban planning and technical conditions for the reconstruction of the "Montenegro" hotel, i.e. the construction of the "Hilton" hotel.
In addition, they also requested proof of the right of ownership, of the arrangement of mutual relations with the authorities regarding the payment of fees for the arrangement of construction land. Among the documents, the SNP Deputies Club also requests the agreement concluded between the Podgorica company "Normal Kompani" and the hotel corporation "Hilton" on the arrangement of mutual relations, a building permit - approval for the reconstruction of the hotel "Crna Gora", i.e. the construction of the hotel "Hilton".
They demolished "Kultura" to have a parking lot
With the demolition of the old "Crna Gora", the removal of buildings that made Podgorica recognizable continued, the cinema "Kultura" succumbed to the onslaught of excavators, the bookshop of the same name has long since disappeared from Ulica slobode, and the planners predicted that a whole series of old low-rise houses in the center would be replaced by multi-storey buildings.
Architect Pavle Popović is the son of the famous architect Veliša Popović, responsible for numerous city buildings, such as the Gymnasium building and the famous "Kultura" cinema, whose demolition two years ago he also had to recover from. Namely, the very beginning of August 2011 was fatal to the multi-decade symbol of Podgorica - the "Culture" cinema, which stopped screening films three years earlier.
"You can actually see that it is according to the scenario of "Long hot summer".... now they also attacked the famous Mirkova varoš, and everyone's mouth is full of King Nikola", said Popović indignantly. It was on the hot sixth of August two years ago that the famous film director Momir Matović parted ways with one of the most famous local cultural objects.
"It is sad and deplorable... Whether I should take it as a gift or a sin, let the public decide," said Matović at the time, believing that the decision to demolish the Podgorica cinema was premature and hasty, and sure that there were much better options that "important segment of cultural heritage" is maintained.
And the fact that he was in a hurry is best told by the fact that there has been a parking space for two years on the site planned for the construction of the City Theater, a large underground garage, as well as a commercial and residential building, which was supposed to be built by the owner of the space, the company "Industrijaimpeks".
Popović was a great visionary
Architect Vujadin Popović was a great visionary of the development of Podgorica, back in 1943 he projected that the city would have 200 inhabitants.
"He had a lot of projects, but he couldn't stay here, instead he fled to Australia in 1953. He tried several times before that, but it didn't work, he just wasn't in that world, and he could live comfortably. He was in Opatija at a seminar, he improvised a raft and went out to sea, the Italians found him, so he ended up in Trieste. In the end, he ended up in Australia," said his nephew Dragan Popović.
He said that after he defected, the inscription in stone on the Hotel Crna Gora was destroyed, on which it was written that he was the author of that building.
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