Bordering Chaos

Abstract

War renders the characteristic of a territory and over-shadows the affects and desires that have been always a part of it. The Bosnian genocide in the early 90’s not only impacted the political and urban structure but also was a severe blow to the social structure. Mostar and Mostarki were synonymous to tolerant cohesive society. Neretva was one such important element of this society but over the years the people distanced itself from the river. The underlying effects of the war overpower the affordances and affects that are existing throughout the city and especially along Neretva. With these gradually decaying territories co-existing with rampant reconstruction to bring back the just image, a heterogeneity has resulted in present day Mostar. The urban transformations have also resulted in an overused and exploited river with increased erosion, sewage discharge and energy generation. In order to respond to the complex situation as experienced in Mostar, the project adopts a framework based on the theory of affects. The lens enables to see this territory as a chaotic assemblage of affordances and potentials. Thereby, identifying & developing a relevant field of affordances in these chaotic slowly decaying natural and urban spaces. This leads to the development of a rhizomatic network of public spaces based on the strategy of urban acupuncture. The proposal works as an experiment which adopts a theoretical outlook to deal with the practicality of temporal, natural and social issues. The thesis aims to acts as a stimuli in order to reinstate the relationship Mostaki’s have with their city, the river and amongst themselves.