Who will go to the Opera building sooner, Belgrade or Pristina

The world-famous architectural studio BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group announced that its office in London (and there are offices all over the world) will work on the project of the Kosovo Opera and Ballet Theater in Pristina.

They explained that the building will consist of a 1.200-seat concert hall, a 1.000-seat theater hall, a 300-seat recital hall, a theater room and an education and conference center – all under one roof. Located next to the Palace of Youth and Sports, Fadil Vokrri Stadium and the Ministry of Public Affairs, this venue will contribute to the creation of a dynamic new cultural corridor in the heart of the city.

Roof like Xhubletu

"The wavy roof creates a flowing and inviting shape that evokes the Xhubleta, a traditional folk costume," said Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director, BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group, as reported by Vogue.

The idea to build the Kosovo Opera and Ballet Theater dates back to 2006. The following year, four construction tenders were opened, and in 2009, the foundation stone was ceremonially laid. And there the work stopped. After that, a lot of things changed, including the location. In March of last year, a competition for an architectural solution was announced, and the following information about it is the one published by BIG.

During each of the mentioned steps towards the opera and ballet building, the public and the media emphasized that Pristina does not have a building where musicians and ballet artists would work, and that this would be extremely important for the culture and image of the city.

Walking around the building in Belgrade

Belgrade doesn't have an Opera House either.

From twenty years ago until now, several locations and ideas about the Opera were available. In 2007, consideration was given to the location of Staklenac on Trg Republike because it would be close to the existing building of the National Theater and convenient for moving equipment. Then, in the same year, the Sava Amphitheater was also present, but already the following year it was said that Ušće was the ideal place.

A competition was also opened to decide which part of the Friendship Park was the best to build. It was in 2008.

At that time, it was planned that the new Opera building should be built on 30.000 square meters, plus another 20.000 square meters intended for commercial contents, which will support the building. It is planned that two halls will be built. The main one for 1.400 spectators and the auxiliary one for 700 spectators, and the construction should last four years. An international tender is planned for the conceptual solution of the future opera house, which was originally supposed to be announced in February of the previous year.

The latest information about the Opera building is from last year.

On the eve of the December 2023 elections, Aleksandar Vučić said that work on the construction of the National Opera and Ballet in New Belgrade has begun. He specified then that construction will begin in 2024. Ana Brnabić then said that it is the largest cultural infrastructure project in Europe and that 180 million euros will be invested.

Hall 1 at the Fair

However, in the middle of January last year, when he announced the "Leap into the future" with Expo, Vučić changed the location of the National Opera and Ballet, placing them at the Belgrade Fair. "In Hall 1 of the Belgrade Fair, which is protected by the state, we will create the most beautiful possible stage for opera and ballet, one of the most beautiful in Europe." And we will build a magnificent concert hall there between SIV and Ušće", said Vučić.

Photo: Promo

Less than a month later, Finance Minister Siniša Mali said that there will not be just one Opera in Hall 1, but "as many as three opera stages, equipped with the most modern stage equipment and built according to the highest world standards."

Experts, however, immediately said that it is not serious to turn the fair hall into an Opera House

The British were hired.

And yet, in August of last year British architectural firm Wilkinson Eyre presented plans for the revitalization of the Sava coast in Belgrade, among which there is a solution for Hall 1 of the Belgrade Fair, including a solution for three cultural buildings, retail spaces and a park.

Light interventions are planned on the existing building that respect its unique architectural characteristics and do not compete with the concrete dome and unusual circular shape of the building, according to the British architects. In order to achieve this, "Wilkinson Eyre" relied on the so-called a "box-in-a-box" solution. New elements will be built inside Hall 1 and separated from the roof: a lyric theater, an opera stage and a flexible, multi-purpose stage, the so-called. "black box".

Photo: Promo

It is impossible to find any traces of a public, open, international architectural competition for this plan. This means that Wilkinson Eyre was not hired because the expert jury judged that the project of its architects was the best, which would be the only right thing for a place like Hall 1, but because of someone's free judgment that they should be hired.

Since then, no one talks about the Opera in Halla1. Maybe this information about the construction of the Opera House in Pristina will push our cause. Because it is not our turn for Pristina to overtake us.