To Revive & To Remember

To Revive & To Remember: Re-imagine the use of Bezistan Passage, Belgrade, Serbia

Lai, Kelly (TU Delft Architecture and the Built Environment)

Mejia Hernandez, J.A. (mentor)
Staničić, A. (mentor)
Jennen, P.H.M. (mentor)
Havik, K.M. (mentor)

Delft University of Technology

Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Methods and Analysis | Positions in Practice

2021-07-01

The location of my graduation project takes place within the complex neighborhoods of downtown Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. It sits at the beginning of Trg Nikole Pasica street, and lies at the intersection of two monumental squares (Nikola Pasic Square and Terazije Square and Terrace). It is an urban passage called the Bezistan (means market hall in Persian) that has fountain covered by skylight and a square under the roof. Designed as a city third space, it was found with experience of everyday life, an idea of a new society that is build up by all actors and activities.

Yet, due to the social and economic degradation in the last decade of the twentieth century of the former Yugoslavia, the public space of the Bezistan Passage has slowly lost the elements of its original features, such as its pleasantness and spatial hierarchy. This has mainly caused by the transformation of surrounding curriculum and the rapid economic growth, leading to the re-planning and renovation process of the public spaces being overlooked and neglected by the government. Therefore, the main purpose of this thesis is to research and discover a new potential for the Bezistan Passage and methods to revive and regenerate existing public spaces.

Through the process of research, trial and error, the project has landed on a conventional library program as the means to revitalize the Bezistan Passage. The new proposal aims to use the interim period of the Bezistan Passage as an opportunity to introduce a new public library facilities. Further allowing its programs to flow into the passage to continue hosting the current activities and maintain the existing value on site. Furthermore, by treasuring and appreciating the existing architecture and history of the site, the project intends to adopt existing architectural qualities and invite people to wonder, explore in realizing details to learn about past and the previous life of Bezistan.

Architecture Revitalization
Urban renewal
Public space
Architecture & heritage
Library
Renovation

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Student theses

master thesis

© 2021 Kelly Lai