KADRIĆ, A. Rising after Fall: Reconstruction of Sarajevos Winter Olympic Games herritage site, Olympic Hotel Igman [online]. Brno: Vysoké učení technické v Brně. Fakulta architektury. 2025.
An important aspect of Azra’s project is its strong personal connection and individual approach. First of all, as I mentioned above, Azra conducted her research and developed the project in her hometown of Sarajevo. Secondly, she focused on the Olympic Sports Complex from the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Games, a site that existed during the time of Yugoslavia — a country whose legacy still resonates strongly across many of the former Yugoslav republics. Thirdly, the choice of a sports-related theme was by no means accidental. Azra herself has a sporting background, and more specifically, an Olympic sports background. Therefore, I believe the success of this thesis lies not only in the quality of the student’s work but also in the fact that this project is very personal to her. Azra approached her diploma work with the same discipline, determination, and focus as she did when earning her medals as a rhythmic gymnast. Regarding the project itself, I would also highlight the large scale of work Azra undertook. She effectively developed what can be considered four major projects within one — including various sports facilities as well as the renovation, reconstruction, and adaptive reuse of an abandoned hotel. I would also emphasize the project’s comprehensive nature: all four parts were tied together through a broad range of architectural and design strategies, many directly referencing the Olympic Games, including through the use of color schemes. Overall, the project was executed at a high architectural, design, conceptual, and technical level. For these reasons, I am very happy to recommend Azra for the highest possible grade.
| Kritérium | Známka | Body | Slovní hodnocení |
|---|---|---|---|
| Přístup studenta ke zpracování | A | Azra Katric demonstrated full commitment and deep engagement with her Master’s project from the very beginning to the final stages. Her approach was thorough, reflective, and grounded in an impressive level of research and personal motivation. She focused on the legacy of the Olympic Sports Complex in her hometown of Sarajevo — a site of great historical importance but one that today suffers from neglect and abandonment. Azra explored this theme with great sensitivity and depth, undertaking a careful investigation not only of the current state of the complex but also of its broader urban and architectural context. Her research expanded to include a detailed study of Sarajevo’s architectural development and a thoughtful analysis of the architectural heritage of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s across the former Yugoslavia. This provided a strong foundation for her design strategy. In the design phase, Azra significantly expanded her involvemen and the scope of the project. Starting with a neglected hotel building, she developed it into a much larger complex, reflecting her remarkable productivity, creative drive, and clear determination to achieve the best possible result. Her passion for the topic and the project was visible at every stage. It was a true pleasure to work with Azra throughout this process. |
1. Analytical part The contribution of Azra Kadrič's diploma thesis is, among other things, an extensive analytical part, which can be divided into four areas: - Analysis of the historical development of the extremely ethnically and socially complicated city of Sarajevo - Analysis of the origin and course of the 1984 Olympic Games, its attributes and symbols - Analysis of the impact of the complicated situation on the emergence of the war conflict and its reflection in the life and architecture of the city - Analysis of the current approach to the possible reconstruction of the original, currently devastated buildings The most important, but above all, basic theses of the diploma thesis are considered: - SILENT REMINDERS – Not to forget the war - the tragedy that happened, not to erase it, to live with the memory, but at the same time to deal with the difficult task of the architect and revive it with new content and thus with hope. Perceiving the philosophy of sport as a chance for reconciliation and rebirth The analytical part is richly complemented by a graphic and photographic part, explaining the author's reflections on the character and significance of the place in the overall context of the city. 2. Design part The design part clearly explains the concept of the overall reconstruction of the Ingman Hotel area. The purpose of the reconstruction of the area is its future efficient arrangement, which will bring new possibilities of use and opportunities for the development of the place. The main function of the discussed area is three newly designed sports complexes and the hotel building, including the reconstruction of the surrounding landscape. Urban design I find the urban design to be sensitive and correct. It brings a new logic and order to the place. The location of sports facilities and activities sensitively follows the reconstructed hotel and connects them with the individual sports complexes using the original Olympic colors. Architectural solution The chosen architectural form is simple and proportionally balanced. The development of the Olympic motif on the abstract cladding of the facades of sports facilities seems funny. The replacement of the original wooden cladding on the Ingman Hotel with concrete cladding panels seems appropriate and fully consistent with the graduate student's philosophical approach to preserving memory through reconstruction. Operational solutions The graduate demonstrated mastery of the typological solutions of individual objects without any problems. Within the framework of individual drawings, she demonstrated a high level of knowledge of individual operations. Technical design solution The selected structures and details correspond to the typological content. The presented design details are standard and correct. Formal level The formal level is very refined and meets the required standards of a diploma thesis. It simply and clearly explains the essence of the intention. The visualizations are processed in sufficient quantity, have a good aesthetic effect, do not go into unnecessary details and correspond to the overall satisfactory conceptual level of sophistication of the design.
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