Prishtina Concert Halls (EX-GËRMIA)

Prishtina Concert Halls (EX-GËRMIA)

1. Aggregation with the existing

The basic idea of the project is to maintain, conserve and restore the existing Germia building (all the 3 parts), part of which will become the Contemporary Arts Center.
The new buildings which will accommodate the Great Concert Hall (1800 places), the Black Box Concert Hall (500 places), Small Auditorium, and all the necessary spaces, are places in the empty space surrounding the old Germia building in the North-West.
The new buildings are an aggregation of freestanding volumes in relation to the existing building, which serves as a departure point for all functions.
This architectural statement underlines the importance and the potential of the Old Germia building firstly as a perfect example of the Modernist heritage of Prishtina. Secondly, the building will be easily transformed into the Contemporary Arts Centre, an institution needed and strongly acclaimed by the artist community.
Thirdly the new addition fits and reinforces this new aggregate of cultural buildings communicating and enriching each other functionally but also as an architectural icon and urban generator of Prishtina city center.
Instead of transforming Germia into Concert halls, this proposal creates two well-related structures with high-end comfort for the performers and the public.

2. Organization of the cultural complex
The Old Germia, building A, will be transformed into a Contemporary Arts Centre on the first and second floors.
The ground floor will become the great hall, direct prolongation of the Main Prishtina square, accessible also from the lower Fehmi Agani street, allowing easy access to all the publicly accessible spaces. The Main Concert Hall, the Black Box Concert Hall, the Small Auditorium and the Contemporary Arts Centre will all be accessible from this main Hall.
All the halls can be used and accessed individually if needed.
The old building B will accommodate the pastry shop on the ground floor and a part of the Concerts halls secondary spaces on other levels.
Building C will be restored and kept as a rental office building, which could help the financial situation of the cultural institution.
The new additions are organized in 3 buildings:
1 The Main Great Concert Hall.
2 The Black box Concert Hall
3 The Small Auditorium with restaurants and observatory tower.
4 Secondary spaces
​1 The Main Great Concert Hall:
This large Hall has a “shoebox” shape on the exterior and “vineyard” - “ring” on the inside, and  offers room for 100 performers and 1800 visitors. The idea behind the scheme is to have a shorter possible distance between the public and performers. The audience will be looking at the performers and to themselves. The lower and upper parterre will have two other rings of balconies. The upper balconies have outdoor spaces, which can be considered spaces related to the city. The Hall can be easily used for a Philharmonic orchestra or large Jazz and Pop music performances.
2 The Black box Concert Hall
Placed between the Old Germia hall and Fehmi Agani street, this multi-purpose hall can be accessed easily on both sides. The upper level has 200 seats while the lower level directly related to the scene is mainly standing space for 300 people. But it can easily be transformed into a theatre, cinema, or another performance space.
3 Small Auditorium with restaurants and observatory tower.
This triangular tower relates the cultural complex with the main Prishtina square. Its empty third level acts as an open-air space. The lower part is the small Auditorium with 136 seats. The upper 3 levels are a restaurant and the 4th level is an observatory open space.
The auditorium, the restaurants, and the Open-Air stage have all independent accesses for independent use.
4 Secondary spaces
Are dispatched in the triangular tower above the Black Box, in the lower ground floor, and mezzanine levels of the Old Germia A building and partly B building.
They are directly accessible to the staff and visiting artists.

3. Circulation and Relations
The aggregates of the new and existing buildings are organized with the double circulation scheme. The main public route relates all the elements with the two access levels in the South and North. The access is mainly with no level’s barriers for disabled people. All the concert halls and other public spaces are directly accessible or through elevators.
The second circulation route relates the spaces with its users, artists, and permanent staff.
All the institutions can be used separately and combined and can be easily evacuated from all the levels. The possibility of separate uses can help reduce the maintenance fees.