ARASTA - I AM MONUMENT
A homage to the disappearing historic centre, the pride of Prizren, its bridges and everything beautiful this part of the city once housed inside, and today no longer exists.
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It all began as a kind of protest when local authorities started discussing the idea of demolition of the Arasta (new) Bridge, to rebuild the Old Arasta Bridge. The Arasta old bridge no longer exists. It is assumed that this timber bridge was built in the middle of the sixteenth century. On both sides of the bridge small shops were located. Although the bridge survived the fire of June 1853 it was completely burned during the fire of 1913. After the fire, it was temporarily rebuilt with wood, to be demolished and rebuilt with reinforced concrete in 1936.
Located in the centre and the most important part of the city, it linked the Arasta bazaar with Shadervan square. This point had an important role for the social and cultural life of the time. Although the bridge and bazaar no longer exists they were saved and inherited through people's memories, stories and pictures.
Since then, the Arasta bridge has created its identity by on-going changes at various stages within this short historic era (less than a century). This identity can be read also through the continuous transformation of the name, starting with Arasta Bridge, continuing with New Bridge, Theranda Bridge, Germans Bridge /KFOR’s - the latest two used since the end of the war (1999), because the German KFOR forces were stationed there.
The idea to demolish the new bridge, in order to bring it back to a earlier historical period, with the price of erasing some city development traces - layered in the collective memory, except that constitutes an interference in the history of urban development, it may also reflect confusion not only today, but also for the future generations. Cities or even parts of them during the history experience different transformations. During their evolution and development, they undergo interventions and changes, that we may like or not, but they become an integral part of their history and identity.
In this case, reconstructing only the bridge, at the time when this part of the city does not have the other elements of the complex (bazaar, mosque, karvansaraj, traditional houses etc.) moreover, a part which has undergone extreme changes over last hundred years, would not help strengthen the identity of the center, but on the contrary it would weaken it by erasing the (new) identity this bridge built on this part of the centre.
I AM MONUMENT, in contrast to the proposal of local authorities, is a strong intervention with a macro sculpture conceived as a depiction and qualification element of the city, respectively of the (old) Arasta Bridge. The proposal aims to restore the Arasta Bridge physically, through phantom volume of the old covered bridge (according the etymology of word Arasta- from Persian-covered).
The bridge covered by a pergola, build of light pvc tubes, is designed as an artificial element - a reduced interpretation of Arasta’s volume.
It stands in direct comparison with spontaneity and the silhouette of the old city. A straight continuous path of about twenty meters, takes three-dimensional evocation with the "portal" presence set of the tubes, becoming a kind of open tunnel. Evident from the vicinity - so invisible from the distance, it unites the city into two parts just like the old bridge did.
The way light integrates within the whole structure is directly connected with the perception of space, making it more dynamic throw light and shadow regular patterns. Light and shadow determine the way people interpret the elements and interact with.
Our society today has become blind towards values. The statement I AM MONUMENT is a civic call to open eyes against the harsh reality, it is a sign of time to act.
Therefore, as a result, I AM A MONUMENT is reduced to a minimal intervention that aims to restore physically Arasta, without damaging the identity that this bridge has created, while respecting citizens' collective memory. Return of the memory through monuments contributes in completion of the mosaic of this shared memory for this important part of the city.
PROJECT FACTS
Architect: Senat Haliti
Project Team: Margarita Azizi, Genc Kupina, Dren Ahmeti, Harbin Haliti, Ergen Tara
Structural analysis: Sead Haliti
Location: Shadërvan, Prizren, Republic of Kosovo
Design : 06/2014
Built: 08/2015
Promoted by: Ec Ma Ndryshe (NGO)
Founded by: U.S. Embassy Pristina, Olof Palme International Center, Drini Company
Budget: 2800 €
Area: ~ 200 sqm
Materials: PVC
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