Hotel "Podgorica" ​​has the status of a protected cultural property of national importance

Hotel "Podgorica" ​​received the status of an immovable cultural asset of national importance, it was announced from the Association of Architects KANA. The decision was made by the Administration for the Protection of Cultural Property.

"Almost 84 years after the birth of architect Svetlana Kane Radević, 54 years after the building of the hotel 'Podgorica' was awarded the federal 'Borbin' award, 9 years after the NGO 'Architectural Forum' submitted the first initiative for the protection of this and other valuable buildings of modern of architecture in Montenegro and 6 years after the start of the scandalous construction of the solitaire right next to its walls, the hotel 'Podgorica' has finally been officially recognized and protected as an immovable cultural asset", stated the association KANA.

They believe that the protection "came too late", but they welcomed the measures prescribed by the Administration's decision.

"We are particularly pleased that the planned measures exclude all interventions that may threaten the static stability of the building, as well as alterations, additions and upgrades, and prescribe the restoration of the original, authentic, concrete architectural elements of the canopy above the main entrances. We also welcome the fact that the Solution recognizes that they are narrower and the wider surroundings of the hotel 'Podgorica' were damaged by the construction of a 'multi-storey building which, with its position, dimensions, form and materialization, degrades the existing values.' , the measures adopted now at least guarantee that a similar project will not be possible in the future. As stated in the Decision, it is ordered that it is necessary to 'preserve the existing natural environment of the protected environment, while preserving the view towards Hotel Podgorica and exclude the construction of new buildings, permanent or temporary in the protected environment of cultural property'."

"Finally, the new status of the hotel building 'Podgorica' will also affect planning, and we consider this to be one of the most important effects of this Decision. Namely: 'Any planning at this location must be in accordance with the integral protection of cultural property, which is recognized by the Law on the Protection of Cultural Integral protection is defined in Article 89 and Article 90 of the aforementioned Law, which stipulates that planning documents provide for the protection of cultural assets and their environment, as an integral part of contemporary social, economic and urban development, in a way that respects their integrity and status and consistently implement the regime and protection measures prescribed by this law. The planning document must be harmonized with the Cultural Heritage Protection Study,'' the KANA association points out.

They said that their organization will now deal with the existing plan for the right bank of Morača, which, as they said, "certainly cannot remain as it is now" when the hotel "Podgorica" ​​is a protected cultural property.

"Thank you to Arch. Kana Radević for doing her job so well more than 50 years ago that even now, in the face of the seemingly unstoppable element of neoliberal investor urbanism, we can base the fight for greener and more humane spaces in the center of Podgorica on the results of her work," concludes in the statement.