#VOID #CONTEXT #SPACE
GEZIM PA ARIZI ARCHITECT: http://www.gpacarizi.com/
The Museum is situated in front of the Catholic Cathedral of Prizren, where a century ago Mother Theresa s parents got married. The Museum looks just like an old Prizren house occupying a very small plot with only 6 m large building front.
From the outside you can see three volumes on top of each other with one large opening for each floor. This simplicity hides a very generous and large interior space. When entering the building from the vibrant street we are surprised by the large vertical and bright space. Since there are no openings in the three sides facing the entrance, we tend to look above. The triple height space is covered by a white arch, covering the two thirds of space longitudinally, with 31 square skylights.The first and the second floor act like galleries surrounding the main space.
Mother Teresa Museum is built around the idea of the idea of the void. No matter in which level you are, you are always in the same space. The play of light and the volumes of space interwoven vertically and horizontally make the museum look much larger than reality.
The three volumes are slightly cantilevered as you go higher on the street side. This way the building communicates with the street and protects the entrance with cantilevered floors. The three large windows with the small overhanging are closely related to the old Prizren architecture however without copying it. The arched roof shows that the building is public, since most of the public buildings in Old Prizren are domed and contrast with the red tiled roofs of the houses.
Small, simple but strong and clear. It is an example on how can architecture fit in it s surroundings, how can it express the own identity and how it can improve the environment with its presence. All the points that most recent architecture in Kosova are missing.
CREDITS
architects: Gezim Pa arizi architect
location: Prizren, Sheshi i Shadrvanit
surface: Net 260 sqm in 4 levels
year/status: 2015 (built)
structure: reinforced concrete
materials: concrete, bricks, wood, glass
client/ contractor: Municipality of Prizren and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports
project team: Gezim Pa arizi
photography: Gezim Pa arizi
