EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY "KALLOS" TUZLA

FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TOWN HALL BUILDING IN SARAJEVO

SUBJECT: ENGLISH LANGUAGE II

Professor: Candidate:

Doc.dr.Mirnes Avdić Amina Kuduzović

Tuzla, decembar 2023.godine

CONTENT

1.INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................3

2. RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TOWN HALL BUILDING IN SARAJEVO............................4

2.1.First phase of reconstruction..................................................................................................5

2.2.Second and third phase of reconstruction...............................................................................6

2.3.Fourth stage and completion of reconstruction (2012-2014).................................................7

2.4.Building envelope...................................................................................................................8

2.5.Arhiecture and layout...........................................................................................................10

2.6.The main design of Reconstruction......................................................................................11

3.CONCLUSION...........................................................................................................................13

REFERENCES...............................................................................................................................14

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1.INTRODUCTION

The year 2012 will mark the one hundred and sixteenth anniversary of the construction of the
sarajevo city hall. in the night between 25th and 26th of august 1992, as a result of barbaric act by
the aggressor, the city hall was incinerated and completely destroyed. The one hundred-year
anniversary of this building was celebrated with the commencement of the restoration of this
valuable historical monument. in 2007, exactly one hundred and forty years had passed since
sarajevo received its first municipal and city administration. as the result of a great administrative
reform in Turkey, conducted after the european fashion, in 1866 sarajevo received its own
municipal authorities- beledija and the city administration council. with the establishment of the
austro-hungarian administration in bosnia and herzegovina, as well as the planned growth of the
“country’s capital city”, there was a growing need for a modern city hall. The mayor of sarajevo
at that time, mr. mustajbeg fadilpašić pointed out the existence of such a need.

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2. RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TOWN HALL BUILDING IN SARAJEVO

The burning of the National and University Library, situated in the historic building of the Town
Hall (Vijećnica) was the most emotionally-fraught event in the besieged Sarajevo, and marked a
decisive turning point in how the nature of the war was understood.23 Over two million library
books vanished in fames (including rare books and manuscripts) and, subsequently, the morale
and hope of the citizens signifcantly eroded.1

The reconstructed City Hall epitomizes the history of both its use and destruction. It
accommodates the City of Sarajevo ceremonial halls and permanent exhibitions of rare books
from the National and University Library and the history of the City Hall. The central hall is used
for temporary exhibitions, concerts and performances, and the restaurant and souvenir shop
contribute to the building’s sustainability. ‘The rehabilitation process was based on the
“IRPP/SAAH methodology”, which established a set of conceptual guidelines designed to bring
about tangible benefts, both for local communities and for the fragile historic environment itself.’

2.1.First phase of reconstruction

In 1996 requirements were met for launching the most urgent works to save the surviving
structure of the building. Until that time only the previously mentioned studies were made into
the condition of its structure on the accessible parts, and they were carried out by the company
Ser.Co.Tec. from Trieste. After analysis of the original structure of the building (load bearing
brick walls and steel beams as a structure that supported all major spans, as well as the steel
frames of the dome and false ceiling, as the overall construction plan), a decision was made to
use the same structural system in the reconstruction process and set out the plan, while carrying
out the main task of saving the building through the following phases:

1. Stabilisation of the structural assembly of the masonry parts - Steel carriers, connected
with steel diagonal connections, were placed at the level of the ceiling wood structures
and at the distance of 3.50-3.80m, thus creating horizontal portholes, which, in this phase

1
Vijećnica Sarajevo, 110 godina, (Town Hall Sarajevo, 110 Years), publisher – the City of Sarajevo 2006.no.89

4
 were to create conditions for the repair of the loft walls and the reconstruction of the roof
truss.
2. Reconstruction of the wooden roof truss and installation of lightning rod equipment - The
major part of the brick structures of the loft, as well as a number of original chimneys
were reconstructed. The original drainage system for rainwater disposal was reconstructed
with open roof channels connected into three existing vertical drainage stacks.
3. Repair of the steel dome and false ceiling, including the reconstruction of the glazed roof
covering
4. Fixing a heavy, load bearing steel scaffold to the heavily damaged structure of the
assembly hall.2

The repaired steel structure and false ceiling are partly leaning against the peripheral walls and
structure of the assembly hall, which is a part of the most damaged structure of the building. A
heavy, load bearing steel scaffold with special massive wooden centres was designed and the
assembly hall structure was supported with it. This prevented damage to already completed
works on the dome and, at the same time, created conditions for the reconstruction of the
assembly hall structure.

2.2.Second and third phase of reconstruction

In 1999 the European Commission provided the funds planned to be used for the continuation of
the reconstruction works on the Town Hall. The consultant proposed the reconstruction of the
horizontal structures to continue, including the reconstruction of the assembly hall, whose
structure was severely damaged, requiring urgent intervention.

The assembly hall is the central and most important area in the building. It is designed as a
symmetrical hexagon, with the external brick walls and gallery formed so that the multilateral
pillars in the corner and two round pillars between the corner ones, carry arches (small brick

2
Corovic, A., Restoration of the Cultural Heritage Sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina as Basis for Intercultural
Dialogue And Development Of Tourism, Unpublished Conference paper, 21st General Assembly of the International
Experts and Symposium Heritage as a Builder of Peace, 2019.no.55

5
domes above the ground and first floors). The brick structures of the small domes and arches
have been preserved in four out of six panels of the hexagonal gallery, with the load bearing
structure above them. Two panels are totally destroyed. The project plan provides for the
preservation of the sound structure as much as possible, with the heavily damaged parts of the
structure (angle pillars, single pillars in the panels, arches) being replaced. According to this
initial principle, it was necessary to set and work out a specific methodology of reconstruction
and execution.3

gP bosna was chosen through an international bidding procedure, as the most favourable
contractor for the implementation of works in the third stage of reconstruction. The city of
sarajevo signed a contract on the execution of construction and construction-craft work - iii stage
of the reconstruction of the city hall, with the company gP bosna on september 24, 2009. The
contract value amounted to 4.419.320, 64 bam. The works officially started on 26th of august
2010, because the law on Regional Planning and use of land at the level of federation of bosnia
and herzegovina needed to be amended for the works to begin. furthermore, the most favourable
contractor for the expert supervision over the execution of works was chosen through bidding
procedure.

2.3.Fourth stage and completion of reconstruction (2012-2014)

The delegation of the european union in bosnia and herzegovina elected the most favourable
bidder for the execution of works in the iV stage of reconstruction of the city hall through
international bidding procedure. a representative of the city of sarajevo participated in the
committee for election of the most favourable bidder. furthermore, the delegation of the european
union in bosnia and herzegovina chose the most favourable bidder for the expert supervision over
the execution of works through international bidding procedure. The fourth stage of the
reconstruction of the city hall, will include the following works: installation works (water supply
and sewage installations, electrical installations, thermo-electrical installations, installations for

3
The project entitled “Town Hall” Sarajevo, preliminary report on technical examinations of the brick walls,
Institute for Soil Technology and Foundation Engineering at the Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo, Sarajevo,
1999.no.63

6
fire prevention), craft works in the interior of the building (surfaces of interior walls, domes and
ceilings), joinery (manufacturing and fitting of the interior joinery-doors and wooden staircase),
masonry and terrazzo works (manufacturing of staircase and floors) Reconstruction and
restoration of gypsum decorations Restoration of the painted decorations.4

2.4.Building envelope

In the ongoing reconstruction project a new disposition of useful space is foreseen. The useful
space is divided among the following main users:

- Headquarters of the City administration:

- National library
- Museum of Devastation of the City Hall
- Central public hall of the City
- Space for energy facilities.

Total useful area of the building of 7716.10m2 is distributed on five levels. Recapitulation of the
useful area is shown in Table 1.

Floor Area (m2)

Basement 1,629.80
Ground floor 1,766.70
Mezzanine 1,315.00
First floor 1,730.90
Second floor 815.50
Attic
Total net area 7,716.10
Total gross area 10,186.00

Table 1. Recapitulation of the useful area of the City Hall

4
Corovic, A., Restoration of the Cultural Heritage Sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina as Basis for Intercultural
Dialogue And Development Of Tourism, Unpublished Conference paper, 21st General Assembly of the International
Experts and Symposium Heritage as a Builder of Peace, 2019.no.65

7
The design phase of the reconstruction project was completed in October 2007. In this paper
energy efficiency improvement relative to the original design is proposed. The paper firstly
analyzes estimated energy use of the building, including the influence of construction details and
materials, electrical installations and lighting, and HVAC systems. Based on this analysis of the
original design and new or improved technologies available, suggestions are made for
improvement of energy efficiency of the building under constraints of preservation of the original
elements of interior and exterior architecture. Additionally, an economic analysis of the
suggested measures is presented. 5

The City Hall was originally built using traditional construction materials (stone, brick, and
wood). Emerging tendencies in construction technology of that period can be seen in use of steel,
especially for construction of the glass dome above the central hall of the building. Constraints
imposed by requirements of preservation of the original building appearance have eliminated
most of the technologically and economically feasible measures for increasing thermal
performance of the building envelope from consideration (e.g. exterior or interior insulation).
This section is, therefore, only a summary of some of the significant thermal characteristics of the
building envelope.

Basement floor is built on stone foundations with overall heat conduction coefficients U of the
ground-facing surfaces between 0.713 and 1.050 W/m2 K, as calculated in the main design
documentation. Underground part of basement walls is made of stone (U = 1.979W/m2 K), while
the upper part is a combination of brick walls covered by stone on the outside (U = 0.938W/m2
K). Basement ceiling is comprised of brick domes. Exterior walls of the ground floor, mezzanine,
first and second floor are made of brick, with thicknesses of 75, 60, and 45cm respectively. Heat
transfer coefficient for of the attic floor and roof determined to be about 0.563 and 0.476 W/m2
K.

5
A Survey of Preliminary Technical Assessment of the state of the Town Hall in Sarajevo, Regional Programm,
2006.no.44

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2.5.Arhiecture and layout

The architecture of eclectics in Sarajevo, presented in numerous buildings, did not present
anything new or different in comparison to the contemporary architecture of other Central
European cities of that time. An exception to that are the buildings constructed in Sarajevo and
Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which construction an eclectic method has been applied with the
selection of a new subject, the so-called «Oriental» or «Moorish» bond, in essence directed
towards an expression of an oriental construction heritage. Precisely the City Hall architecture
contains all elements and marks of «Oriental» or «Moorish» bond, which appears in BiH at the
time when the European architects strived to create a national style in art. Unlike the majority of
public buildings in Sarajevo, in which the pseudo- Moorish style is mostly detected as a pictorial
decorative repertoire developed on facades, the City Hall building is characterized by the above
mentioned stylistic expression permeating through the decorative, spatial, and even structural
design.6

The foundation of the building, taken over from Karl Parik's conceptual design, is almost an
isosceles triangle, with the length of the South and the Southeastern side (of the wall face) being
56 m, and the Southwestern one 52 m. According to Parik's project, the building is planned to
consist of a basement, ground floor, mezzanine, and one floor. Due to an alteration made by
Wiittek, which is most probably the result of an aspiration for a greater monumentality of the
City Hall building, the structure of the final building design has one floor more. The changes
were also made in the form of the base of the angular towers, as well as the setting of the central
overhang on the Southwestern facade. On all sides of the building, there are overhangs in the
central part, of which the one on the Southern main front of the building is especially prominent
and very representative. It consists of an access staircase with a porch, above which there is a
loggia.. From the porch, above which there are domes, there is an entrance into a space of a
square foundation, with nine semi-dome bays, two stories high. From this space, there is an
entrance into a central, spacious hexagon (honeycomb-shaped) lobby, which has been structurally

6
The decision of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of B&H for designation of the City hall
(Vijećnica) in Sarajevo, as national monument od B&H, (2006)..no.47

9
developed out of a triangle base. This is the most valuable space in the building, out which a
doublereturn staircase leads to the gallery, which is born by pillars with decorative capitals and
arches. From the gallery, there is an entrance into the main representative City Hall spaces, the
large hall, two smaller ones, and, opposite of them, into a smaller conference hall. All of the halls
are two stories high, while the other spaces are developed through four stories above the
basement.7

2.6.The main design of Reconstruction

The main design of Reconstruction in 2004, the cantonal institute for Protection of the cultural-
historical and natural heritage prepared the study of necessary works, i.e. works needed to protect
the building, and the preliminary study with description of intended uses of the city hall. in 2005,
the cantonal government decided that the canton, the city of sarajevo and the old Town
municipality would provide the funds needed for the preparation of the project documentation. in
2005, the cantonal institute for Protection of the historical and natural heritage, together with the
expert team, prepared the Project Procedures for elaboration of the designs for Reconstruction
and Restoration. in 2006, the cantonal institute for Protection of the cultural-historical and natural
heritage conducted the international bidding procedure for preparation of designs of
reconstruction and restoration of the city hall.

7
Coward, M., Urbicide and the Question of Community in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Newcastle university library. Ph.D.
– Department of Politics. Newcastle: University of Newcastle, 2001.no.44

10
 The main design of Reconstruction

Preliminary proposals for the uses of the city hall, were defined by the decision of the committee
for Protection of national monuments in bosnia and herzegovina on proclaiming the sarajevo city
hall a national monument of bosnia and herzegovina “official gazette bih” no. 88/07. after the
completion of the reconstruction and restoration of the building, according to plan, the city hall
will have various functions, which are in line with its cultural and historical significance: seat of
the sarajevo city administration and the national library, museum of the destruction of the city
hall, and the assembly hall which will be used for hosting various cultural events (promotions,
exhibitions, concerts etc.). Therefore, the city hall will become a factory of science, culture and
art.8

8
The project entitled “Town Hall” Sarajevo, preliminary report on technical examinations of the brick walls,
Institute for Soil Technology and Foundation Engineering at the Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo, Sarajevo,
1999.no.14

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3.CONCLUSION

At the beginning of 90s of the previous century, the activities regarding the construction of a city
hall have been coming into effect. The location on the right bank of the river Miljacka, in the
Eastern part of the Old Sarajevo ýaršija (arch. market/bazaar), has been approved. One of the
most significant architects of that time, Mr. Karl Parik (1857 – 1942) has been entrusted with the
development of the city hall project. In 1891, the preliminary design has been completed and put
forward to Minister B. Kallay. According to the data collected by our historian, Mr. H.
Kreševljakoviü, B. Kallay requested that modifications be made to the project. When Karl Parik
did not accept the suggestions for project modifications, this job has been offered to Architect
Aleksandar Wittek. Wittek reworked the preliminary design, developed a series of executive
drafts, commenced the construction of the building, but died in 1894 in Gratz after a serious
illness. In the meantime, the further care concerning the construction of the building and the
creation of the executive drafts has been entrusted to a young architect, Mr. ýiril Ivekoviü. In the
fall of 1894, the main construction work has been completed and the building has been partially
readied for use. In 1896, the building has been finally completed and formally opened.

City Hall is one of the most remarkable architectural examples built at the end of 19th century. It
was made in Neo-Moorish style, inspired by Islamic architecture of North Africa and Spain. The
building is located at the forefront of the historical part of the city and represents a significant
element of its landscape. It has a triangular form with corner towers, its sides having south, north-
east and north-west orientation. Hexahedral central hall with a glass dome dominates in the
interior space of the building. Until 1948 the building was utilized for various municipal and
administrative purposes, e.g. as a City Court and Parliament House. Since then it housed National
and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina. On August 1992 it was heavily damaged in a
fire caused by direct hits of shells. After the destruction, several interventions were made in order
to protect and preserve its construction and other elements from further damage.

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REFERENCES

1. A Survey of Preliminary Technical Assessment of the state of the Town Hall in Sarajevo,
Regional Programm, 2006.
2. Bejtić, A., Gradska vijećnica, Mali urbanizam Sarajeva (Town Hall, A Little Urban Study
of Sarajevo), 1966
3. Corovic, A., Restoration of the Cultural Heritage Sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina as
Basis for Intercultural Dialogue And Development Of Tourism, Unpublished Conference
paper, 21st General Assembly of the International Experts and Symposium Heritage as a
Builder of Peace, 2019.
4. Coward, M., Urbicide and the Question of Community in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Newcastle
university library. Ph.D. – Department of Politics. Newcastle: University of Newcastle,
2001.
5. The decision of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of B&H for
designation of the City hall (Vijećnica) in Sarajevo, as national monument od B&H,
(2006).
6. The project entitled “Town Hall” Sarajevo, preliminary report on technical examinations
of the brick walls, Institute for Soil Technology and Foundation Engineering at the
Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo, Sarajevo, 1999
7. Vijećnica Sarajevo, 110 godina, (Town Hall Sarajevo, 110 Years), publisher – the City of
Sarajevo 2006

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