To Meet Galileo on Day Fourteen. Reimagining the Gjilan Prison Through Spatial Studies of Trauma
The spatial documentation of one of the most notorious prisons of Ex-Yugoslavia is a response and indignation to a widespread indifference towards inconspicuous buildings that hold the most valuable traces of collective memory. Through the survivors' narratives, this study explores the prison’s potential intertwined between its legacy and spatial qualities, questions the need for physical interventions, and advocates for a separation between architecture and environmental depletion.
Local
Kosovo
Gjilan
Mainly urban
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
The spatial documentation of the (yet) undisclosed Prison of Gjilan—one of the most notorious political prisons of Ex-Yugoslavia—is a response and indignation to a widespread indifference towards inconspicuous buildings that hold the most valuable traces of collective memory. With this case study, the project discloses suppressed traumas that have gripped Kosovo in the last decades of the twentieth century. In fear of the building’s uncertain future, this project takes on the narratives of its survivors to explore the prison’s potential intertwined between its legacy and spatial qualities. In each of the narratives, almost unconsciously, the eyewitnesses accentuate the architectural components of the prison around which its history is told. It is then, when eclectic methods of architectural documentation draw upon this process of care, as tools to discover, document and transform. The production of architectural artefacts such as the reading and drawing of floor plans, the analysis of sections and elevations with incorporated functions, the drawing of survivors’ narratives, the thorough inspection of photographs, model-making as a tool to investigate, the drawing of sounds and the mapping of cities, become the novel tools through which sites of trauma can be disclosed and transformed. In this way, by questioning the need for physical interventions towards the transformation of spaces, this study advocates for a separation between architecture and environmental depletion.
Finally, this in-depth architectural documentation provides room for sustainable and valuable intervention proposals. In this case study, the space between the Prison and the Theatre of Gjilan is transformed: from a space used against the city, to a space used for the city. A green square courtyard surrounded by the dark history engraved in the decaying prison walls will offer a space for remembrance and contemplation.
spatial documentation
cultural heritage
narratives of survivors
architectural artefacts
re-use
This concept highlights two main objectives in terms of sustainability. Initially, the project’s central sustainable goal is reusing, embracing and working with the existing. By focusing on the documentation of the prison’s past and current state which reveal its spatial qualities, the transformation of the prison does not employ new construction and environmental depletion. Instead, the transformation happens in the production of architectural artefacts, such as maps, drawings and models, which then propose sustainable potential uses for the existing space. The possible use of the prison courtyard as a public space for the city, as proposed at the very end of this documentation process, proves the agency of architecture documentation towards sustainable transformations that do not require physical interventions. Secondly, the project highlights the importance of lifecycle thinking in the repurposing of historic buildings. Instead of following traditional trajectories of refurbishing projects that implement new construction and infrastructure, this study proposes maintenance as the only needed intervention towards a qualitative re-use.
By tackling two prominent issues in the times we live in—undisclosed traumas and sustainable transformations—the proposed methodology can be exemplary for projects in similar contexts. Unline museum-like transformations or complete repurposing of valuable heritage, this concept offers a novel approach in the sustainable re-use of spaces and evokes new academic concepts which bring the agency of documentation to the forefront of architectural practice.
The key objectives of this project in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience rely on the shifted use of the prison courtyard: from a building that has been built against the city, to an environment used by and for the city. Firstly, the project confronts the negative connotation of enclosing spaces by reinstating the prison wall. In this way, the space between the Prison and the Theatre is enclosed and the two buildings become transition zones into the courtyard—a space abstracted from the world of noise and traffic. Secondly, by maintaining its current decaying facades it becomes a space which acknowledges and celebrates the prison’s history. In this way, the facades provide a meaningful and culturally enriching experience for the local community. The decaying walls become the storytellers of the prison’s legacy, leaving no need for museum-like interventions. Thirdly, the green area in the middle of the courtyard, inspired by Peter Zumthor’s Serpentine Pavilion and paradoxically following the former prison courtyard plan, brings a positive emotion and a sense of belonging by reflecting on the past—an open garden on top of a former prison cage.
This project can be used as an example in accentuating how meaningful spatial interventions can derive from a thorough process of architectural documentation. In this way, historical awareness and sustainable solutions converge.
Inclusivity in this project appears in two forms: inclusivity in the process of documenting and inclusivity through design. Firstly, the project embraces this quality by openly engaging with the local citizens and former political prisoners in order to understand the needs of all user groups. Through a series of discussions, their stands were marked down to be later included in the final output. It is only through this inclusivity in the study process, that an inclusive design can emerge. Secondly, the design proposal tackled inclusivity by re-using the prison courtyard for the citizens of Gjilan. The space which used to resemble the most notorious area on the map of the city, is now a safe space for contemplation. As a public space, the courtyard is accessible to anyone who wishes to enter it.
The key objective of my study methodology and design proposal is to transform a space in order to serve the needs and interests of the local community. The discussions I had with several former prisoners became the crucial narratives which directed the project until the end. Through a series of informal discussions with citizens of Gjilan, I discovered a conflicting array of emotions towards the former prison where the city's heroes were subjected to horrific treatment: on one hand people despised the brutality of the building, and at the same time they longed for a space for commemoration. In the end, dozens of citizens and former political prisoners came to the conclusion that its destruction would destroy historical evidence and therefore they showed a desire for a sustainable transformation that fully preserves its dark history.
At the end of my dissertation, I organized group talks with the former prisoners in which I explain the outcomes of this study. A thorough study of the prison guided by their narratives, which led to a transformation as simple as the construction of a pathway, brought immense emotion in the eyes of those who experienced it most. It was at that moment, that I was convinced that architectural documentation as an architectural paradigm is the most sustainable approach towards meaningful design. By prioritizing community engagement, my study offers a universal approach which can be applied to other historical buildings in need of meaningful preservation.
1. At the start of this study, I communicated with several citizens in order to understand the connection between the ordinary passerby and the prison building. In this regard, it is important to acknowledge the cultural connection of Albanian citizens in Kosovo to their recent past which reflects a high level of awareness of its detailed history. Therefore, considering its central location in the city, each citizen shared strong memories of the prison, from the war until today.
2. At an early stage, I visited the site together with former political prisoners who are now practising politicians in Kosovo, such as the Mayor of Gjilan, the former Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, the Deputy Minister of Defence and many other personalities involved in Kosovo’s post-war reconstruction. In each of their narratives, almost unconsciously, the eyewitnesses accentuated the architectural components of the prison around which its history was told. By highlighting and translating them into drawings, maps and models, I created tools through which their understanding of the prison changed profoundly. The communication with the municipality ensured that the concept would align with regional plans and initiatives in the future, in order to develop a feasible and sustainable project.
3. Finally, as the project was developed during my studies at KU Leuven, a number of international architects participated in the process. Initially, I managed to share this untold history with students from around the world, as well as many professors throughout five different presentations. Their authentic input from an international perspective significantly informed the development of my methodology. Upon graduating with this project, I was awarded Laurate of the Year 2020-2022 and I received a letter from the Dean of the Faculty at KU Leuven who expressed a strong motivation to support the further development of this project of such high relevance.
This eclectic architectural documentation of the prison of Gjilan involved a multidisciplinary approach, reflecting various knowledge fields such as architecture and history, which then reflected in the field of Trauma Studies. The project was first approached from an architectural point of view. Through (a) a distinct spatial perception and (b) the use and production of artefacts (maps, drawings, models), architecture managed to give novel inputs into the study of this site of trauma. Regarding the historical dimension, I discussed with Aliriza Selmani, a prominent writer in the historiography of Gjilan. Through this assistance, a thorough historical analysis of the prison informed the architectural investigation process, by allowing its historical past to be the guide of the building’s future. In the end, the unique architectural understanding of space and the use of the extensive architectural toolkit allowed for novel inputs in regard to trauma studies. Therefore, this methodology exposed a lacuna in Trauma Studies which has been subtly recognized from other fields. This important finding has now become the central point of my new ongoing research on the input of architecture in Trauma Studies. This multidisciplinary approach allowed for a holistic understanding of the prison, with important insights for its future potential use. The collaboration between representatives from different fields facilitated a cross-fertilization of ideas, leading to a more nuanced and well-rounded concept.
The introduced concept is innovative in several ways when compared to mainstream methodologies of preserving valuable heritage.
1. It introduces a new methodology based entirely on the documentation of existing structures as a vital step in understanding the spatial potential. In this regard, it separates architecture from its usual association with environmental depletion by proposing a paradigm in which a fundamental architectural transformation does not require physical intervention and reconstruction.
2. Furthermore, compared to the traditional way of turning sites of trauma into museums, this project advocates for the use of these spaces without incorporating descriptive history. Instead, it proposes a more sustainable idea where architecture itself becomes the story-teller.
3. This concept highlights the importance of a multidisciplinary and eclectic approach by incorporating elements of storytelling, interactive drawing, model-making, and mapping space and sound to create a holistic understanding of the built environment.
4. It prioritizes the inclusion of former users, city residents and other stakeholders, which allows for a more socially inclusive approach—a vital factor in re-purposing existing heritage.
This study proposes a universal methodology and toolkit which can be replicated in other projects:
- The research methodology used in this study can be applied to other structures that hold historical or cultural significance, allowing for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the unique spatial quality without the physical intervention as a final act. In this day and age where the act of building cannot be disassociated with destruction, this project calls for new ways of approaching preservation. Therefore, the methodology of architectural documenting as a transformation in itself is presented as the most sustainable method for meaningful preservation.
- The tools and architectural artefacts presented in this study (the thorough reading and remaking of floor plans, the analysis of sections and elevations that show the incorporated functions, the drawing of narratives, in-depth analysis of photographs, model-making as a tool to investigate and communicate ideas, the drawing of sounds and the mapping of surrounding sites and cities), can be adapted in every study of similar environment.
This project addresses a crucial global challenge of sustainable preservation of heritage, predominantly in post-war countries. With rapid urbanization and development, valuable historical structures are often demolished, leading to gaps in cultural and architectural history. Therefore, by using the intervention in the prison as a localized solution, the project highlights a larger widespread issue. By offering a comprehensive methodology for honouring historical structures through sustainable preservation, this project brings the solution of transforming spaces through simply reusing them. It offers the methodology (spatial documentation), the tools (architectural artefacts), and the strategy (re-use of the existing).
