Call for Competition: Capital city Podgorica

Capital city Podgorica announces Competition for the Conceptual Architectural Design of the Adaptive Reuse of the 'NA-MA' Department Store in Podgorica.

After a long-standing legal dispute, the building of the former department store "NA-MA" (Narodni magazin) has been awarded to the City of Podgorica by a ruling of the High Court. The building, which has remained unused for almost 10 years, is now in a dilapidated state. Considering the building's location and its longstanding presence in the collective memory of the city, it is planned to preserve the structure through repurposing and the introduction of new facilities in the central urban area.

The primary goal of the competition is to provide a vision for the adaptive reuse of the subject building based on principles of sustainability, allowing for its modern use while preserving the architectural heritage and urban memory of the city.
This project seeks to achieve multiple objectives, with key ones including:

- Preservation of historical value and cultural significance in terms of urban memory by transforming the department store into a flexible workspace and a centre for social and cultural events.

- Creation of a flexible and socially connected Creative Hub that supports innovation in the heart of the city and facilitates the creation of new jobs and employment opportunities, thereby stimulating the local economy and improving quality of life. With a focus on all ages of the residents of Podgorica - from a toddler to a senior resident - the Creative Hub shall serve as a platform to connect Podgorica’s human potential, with facilities that serve as a spark to help ignite innovation at all levels: education, start-up, ideas sharing, events etc.

- Utilisation of the strategic location for the urban revitalisation of the city centre by transforming the department store into a prominent site on the edge of the main city square with a strong visual identity.

The Competition for the conceptual design is international, general, single staged and anonymous.

The right to participate in the competition is guaranteed to all the individuals and legal entities who meet the conditions defined by the Competition Announcement and Project Brief.

COMPETITION DEADLINES:

Competition is open from: June 26th, 2024
Deadline for submission: September 24th, 2024, 23:59h (UTC+2)
Results will be published no later than: October 11th, 2024

The results of the Competition and the jury’s report will be published on the website Konkursi | Glavni grad Podgorica and www.architecturalcompetitions.me.

COMPETITION JURY:

1. Aleksander Vujović, SUPA;
2. Dijana Vučinić, DVARP;
3. Frane Šesnić, ZICER;
4. Slobodan Radoman, RADDAR;
5. Duška Mačić, Chief City Architect of the Capital City Podgorica.

AWARDS:

I prize – EUR 25,000.00
II prize – EUR 12,000.00
III prize – EUR 6,000.00
Three honourable mentions - EUR 1,000.00 each.

REGISTRATION:

Registration is not required; participation in the competition is free.

Deadline for submitting questions:

All participants can submit questions related to the competition until July 25th, 2024. All received questions and answers will be published on the website https://podgorica.me/sluzba-glavnog-gradskog-arhitekte/konkursi/godina-2024/ by July 30th, 2024.

Questions are to be sent to the following addresses:

stefan.djukic@podgorica.me;
ivana.ljumovic@podgorica.me.