The building of the Faculty of Fine Arts (FLU) in Cetinje was moved into in 2020, and is already undergoing renovation.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MESI) has not responded to questions about how the building received a permit for use in the first place, and who is responsible for the fact that a building with construction defects was accepted.
The building had been empty and subject to decay for years before the Faculty moved in.
The students were met with dampness and leaks. After several minor and unsuccessful adaptations and hassles with leaks, a tender was issued for a contractor company with 440 thousand euros at its disposal.
Just five years after moving in, and nine years after construction, the Faculty of Law of the University of Montenegro in Cetinje is undergoing reconstruction. The building is leaking on all sides, as evidenced by dark stains on the walls, scaffolding for fixing, buckets and basins in which drips collect on rainy days. The Faculty of Law claims that this problem has been with them since they moved in.
"The Faculty of Fine Arts moved into this newly built facility in April 2020. There were already minor problems at that time, related to water seeping through the building's expansion joints in certain places. At the very beginning, we tried to solve these problems adequately. However, it is not easy with water," said Ivan Merdović, Secretary of the Faculty of Fine Arts.
The problem became more complicated over time, which is why the Ministry of Public Works announced a tender for the renovation of the building, which will cost 440 thousand euros.
The advertisement stated that the FLU building is facing numerous problems, including atmospheric and capillary moisture penetration, leaks on terraces and through facades, damage to expansion joints and facade parapets, and even to the ceilings of the mural classrooms. Damage to the exterior facade cladding, as well as to the ceramic tiles on the access plateau, was also registered.
"The Faculty building is located within the scope of the Urban Planning Project 'Stari Obod' and represents a significant segment of the cultural and educational infrastructure of the capital. The planned adaptation aims to improve the functionality of the space, create better conditions for teaching and artistic work, as well as preserve the architectural value of the building itself. This investment confirms the commitment of the Ministry of Public Works and the University of Montenegro to the development of higher education and cultural creativity, through the creation of conditions that meet modern standards and the needs of students and the academic community," the Ministry of Public Works said.
How is it possible that a building, which was then presented as a capital investment for education and culture, was accepted for use in such a condition? Who is responsible for the fact that a building with obvious construction defects was accepted without a thorough inspection? These are questions to which Televizija Vijesti did not receive answers from the Ministry of Education and Culture.
According to the construction contract from 2015, which is available online, the faculty was built by the Consortium "Kondor Company" from Budva, "Eurozoks" from Danilovgrad, "Eminent" from Podgorica and "Eksploring" from Nikšić.
The works were commissioned by the then Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism, or the Directorate of Public Works. The deadline for the complete construction was 14 months, and the total cost of the works was 3,4 million euros.
The Faculty building, measuring 5.100 square meters, is planned for around 140 students. Due to the rush for exams, students were unable to tell us whether the conditions were preventing them from creating and learning.
"It's not exactly disabling them, but it makes their work more difficult to some extent. But we are trying to overcome it in some of our own ways. So far, it has been quite successful, and I hope that in the coming period it will be permanently resolved and that we will not have that situation," said Merdović.
The faculty has undergone several minor renovations in the past five years, which, according to the higher education institution, have saved the building from significant deterioration.
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