Period and style:
Austro-Hungarian / Neo-Classical
Before
destruction Formal
characteristic:This imposing masonry building combines apartments with large ordered
windows and a massive commercial ground floor. The commercial space pushes up
against the street wall of Maršal Tito Street in Mostar, while the residential
floors are set back, protecting the spaces within from the noise and animation
of the street, and affording them air and light. The articulation of the
building fits squarely within Mostar's Neo-classical tradition, and places it
with the large number of buildings constructed with the influx of capital and
investment that accompanied Austro-Hungarian authority. There is no known
prototype in Mostar for the enormous setback of the residential floors.
This
design was influenced by the quality of life issues cited above the desire to
have windows which framed a particular view. From the apartment windows of the
structure, perfectly framed views of the Old Bridge and historic
Mostar are visible. The house was carefully sited near the main access road to
the Orthodox Church and embraces a view of the Stari Most. Both of these
monuments were clearly part of these families' cultural identity in Mostar.
Ownership
history:Originally
an apartment building belonging to the Dokić Family with commercial space
jointly owned by the Dokić, Bilić, and Peško families; the ownership of the
building remained constant, though tenancy has been in constant flux.
Site history:The Konak Housing
building was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century as an apartment
house with rental units and a large shop at street level.
After
destruction The
three shareholders: the Dokić, Bilić and Peško were the most important
Serbian merchant families in Mostar from the mid l9th to the mid 20th centuries.
It is notable in light of current political conditions that a prominent Serbian
family built their home on the east side of Mostar: at ten meters distance from
the City walls, on the main road to the Orthodox Church Complex on the hill, and
with constant views of the Ottoman Old town. The building was heavily damaged
during shelling in the recent war, in 1992.
Assumptions
for reuse: The
Konak Housing Complex, with its ample commercial space, light residential
apartments, and beautiful views ought to be preserved along with its exterior
shell and its functional divisions.
Proposed intervention:The
floors and roof are badly damaged, and the rubble in the building makes them
inaccessible. A structural engineer must assess the present condition of the
structural system before making decisions about the preservation of wall parties
and floors. The exterior walls have to be consolidated and repaired. Prussian
vaults have to be examined and stabilized. If these are totally destroyed, a new
flooring system can be inserted into the structure. Earthquake measures have to
be taken into consideration during the consolidation of the structure. Windows
and
doors must be renewed in harmony with original details.
Before
destruction
Formal
characteristic: This imposing masonry building combines apartments with large ordered
windows and a massive commercial ground floor. The commercial space pushes up
against the street wall of Maršal Tito Street in Mostar, while the residential
floors are set back, protecting the spaces within from the noise and animation
of the street, and affording them air and light. The articulation of the
building fits squarely within Mostar's Neo-classical tradition, and places it
with the large number of buildings constructed with the influx of capital and
investment that accompanied Austro-Hungarian authority. There is no known
prototype in Mostar for the enormous setback of the residential floors.
