Period and style:
Ottoman / Domestic Balkan Architecture
Before
destruction Formal
characteristic:To
come upon the ruins of the Alajbegović House on Maršal Tito Street is still a
pleasurable surprise. It is an elegant, traditional two-level timber and masonry
building, which brings this modern street a sense of its own history. Commercial
on one flank and residential on the other, it is a courtyard dwelling whose
secluded residential character is all but hidden from the important street it
faces. The Alajbegović House appears to be the former public-or men's-quarters
(the selamluk), of an Ottoman home, formerly connected with adjacent houses that
stretched along the length of the street. It has an L-shaped plan, and is
entered, not on the main artery, but by way of a large wooden portal (kapija) on
the smaller Alajbegović Street. The door opens onto an outer courtyard, paved
in patterns of river stone and shaded by an arbor. This side entrance and the
peaceful courtyard protect the privacy and intimacy of those living in the
Alajbegović House from the noises of the street, which has thrived as an
animated commercial artery since Ottoman times.
The
Alajbegović House is a precious and extremely rare example of a traditional
Ottoman house designed with shops on the first floor.
Substantial
masonry walls form the body of the house structure, with timber frame and infill
construction used for cantilevered bays and interior partitions. A timber-framed
roof was originally clad with local slate. The interior rooms consist of typical
Ottoman living and kitchen spaces. The House has one of the best surviving
examples of Ottoman wooden ceilings with intricate carving, though these are at
present in peril, due to exposure to the elements.
Ownership
history:The Alajbegović
family was the original owner; currently the residential spaces are abandoned
and there are multiple tenants in the commercial spaces on the street level.
After
destruction Site history:This
two-Ievel courtyard dwelling is part of a traditional Balkan Ottoman residential
complex in the Karadjozbeg Mahala (the neighborhood associated with the Karadjozbeg
Mosque). Like the urban houses of Pompeii, commercial spaces fronted a main
street, while more private entrances protected the intimacy and calm of the
family within. It is now a rare surviving example of Ottoman vernacular
architecture in the commercial district along Mar,šal Tito Street, the
main artery on the east side of the river. Prior to the war it had survived in
excellent condition. At the edge of a traditional residential neighborhood
(mahala), the future of this building depends upon the protection of adjacent
historical houses, to maintain an appropriate scale in this area.
The
original slate roof was replaced with tile roofmg before the war. This is now
completely destroyed, and the house is in significant peril. Active businesses
have returned to the street level shops of Maršal Tito Street, but the
residential spaces above have no roof and are rapidly deteriorating.
assumptions
for reuse: This
is a crucial building for reconstruction in Mostar. On the border between
surviving traditional mahalas and a commercial district, the survival of this
unique building is critical in preserving the defining scale and character of
the traditional commercial architecture of Ottoman Mostar. It has retained its
commercial functions at the street level. Its second level should maintain a
residential function.
Proposed intervention:The
timber frame of this traditional house is in poor condition; general
stabilization of the structure is necessary. All timber elements should be
inspected carefully and badly damaged ones should be renewed. The deteriorated
timber must be changed or grafted with new pieces. The damaged parts of the
floor have to be removed and new timber beams and planks of the same type and
cross section must be used for restoration. The ceilings can be restored
according to previous documentation and analogy from similar houses in Mostar.
The
plaster on the faade is cracked and has to be restored. The shop fronts have
to be renovated, improving the finishes. First floor window frames need repair
and paint. Lost ones will be replaced with similar forms and materials.
Practically
no protective roof exists over the house. It has to be reconstructed. Slates
must be used to cover the roof. Chimneys need to be repaired or reconstructed
according to evidence provided by old photos.
Before
destruction
Formal
characteristic: To
come upon the ruins of the Alajbegović House on Maršal Tito Street is still a
pleasurable surprise. It is an elegant, traditional two-level timber and masonry
building, which brings this modern street a sense of its own history. Commercial
on one flank and residential on the other, it is a courtyard dwelling whose
secluded residential character is all but hidden from the important street it
faces. The Alajbegović House appears to be the former public-or men's-quarters
(the selamluk), of an Ottoman home, formerly connected with adjacent houses that
stretched along the length of the street. It has an L-shaped plan, and is
entered, not on the main artery, but by way of a large wooden portal (kapija) on
the smaller Alajbegović Street. The door opens onto an outer courtyard, paved
in patterns of river stone and shaded by an arbor. This side entrance and the
peaceful courtyard protect the privacy and intimacy of those living in the
Alajbegović House from the noises of the street, which has thrived as an
animated commercial artery since Ottoman times.
Site history: