“Ja htedoh samo da sačuvam veselu sliku današnjeg Niša od zaborava. Inače će sve te lepe dane Nišava odneti u Moravu, Morava u Dunav, a Dunav negde bestraga i oni se više nikad neće vratiti, kao ni mladost naša.”
Stevan Sremac- Ivkova slava
“I just wanted to save the cheerful image of today’s Niš from oblivion. Otherwise, Nišava will take all those beautiful days to Morava, Morava to the Danube, and the Danube somewhere they will never return, as well as our youth”
This poetic observation about memories in Nis, using the beautiful words of Sremac, have influenced our design for the New Museum. Remembering our past is an act of Love for our ancestors and for ourselves, and it is our duty to bring forward their legacy whether it is a work of Art or a piece that testifies our history.
Our proposed Nis Muzej creates a welcoming and serene world that brings together light and shadow, reflection and calm, expressive yet intimate exhibition spaces. It wishes to belong to Nis, to Serbia, to its history, to its geography without becoming a flat translation of the pleonasm that results in boredom and convention. It also aims to emphasize the fascination generated by rare encounters.
Our architecture is created for Nis, for the surrounding context and for visitors from all corners of the world. Shifting away from traditional Serbian architecture, we made sure that our proposal responds as a cohesive element within the existing urban pattern. It is both a calm and complex place. Yet it stands as a sharp contrast in a neighborhood that cultivate their differences and their authenticities.
We create three points of interest from within and beyond our architecture by responding to the old fort, the park and the Nišava River. Looking from the old fort in the far distance, the building glows like a shining light beacon at night. The northern facade becomes a LED media screen to engage with people who stroll along the river and walls of the fort. The southern wall is angled as a diagonal element towards the park and clad with metal screen to offer views yet protect the works of art within. This diagonal screen wall also carves out an open space for visitors to soak in the sun, taste coffees and delicacies in the tree filled plaza.
We have created the possibility of accessing the museum on foot from the old fort via Tvrđavski Most, from Trg Kralja Milana or even by boat on the Nišava. To walk from the fort, find a pontoon on the shore and then to stroll towards the museum is the experience that we want visitors to remember. They will then be welcomed like a much-awaited guest to see unique exhibits, linger in the bookstore or to visit a friend in the museum office.
Within the 26.5m tall building, the museum offers directional views to the fort and neighborhoods from the balconies and through the diamond-shaped screen that punctuates bursts of sunlight. The roof terrace offers panoramic views over the city of Nis and the surrounding crown of mountains including Suva Planina.
NI-MU becomes a destination along an urban promenade – a cool haven, a neighbourhood extension of the 16 July Park during the day and during the night, a media wall facing the river and a light beacon pointing towards the old fort. It curates an aesthetic consistent with its role as a sanctuary for the most precious works of art.
