Smack in the middle of Kosovo’s capital Pristina, the national library is all but impossible to miss.
To some it is an architectural wonder, with its bubble domes and shimmering steel lattice.
“It’s the cherry on the cake of Pristina, and of Kosovo,” declared local tourist guide Muamer Hasani.
Whenever you “search for something about Pristina, the first photo that comes up is of the national library,” he added.
But for others, the building is an abomination.
“It’s so ugly that it blinds you,” said a middle-aged Pristina resident who asked not to be named.
“We’ve been living with it for decades and it hasn’t been renovated yet. It’s annoying, but what can we do?”
Opened in 1982, the library has witnessed Kosovo’s occasional highs and bitter lows — from the breakup of Yugoslavia to the bloody war with Serbia in the late 1990s, independence and all the turbulent history since.
– ‘Iconic object’ –
Its 74 translucent domes were designed to provide natural lighting for the reading rooms below. The grid of steel covering its brutalist exterior deflects sunlight, cooling the building and protecting the books inside.
Croatian architect Andrija Mutnjakovic, who oversaw the design, said he was trying to reflect Kosovo’s diverse culture and history.
“Like any architect, I am in love with my building. I am glad to see that 40 years after its construction, it is as beautifully preserved as if it opened yesterday,” Mutnjakovic told AFP.
He has little time for those who criticise it.
The library’s director Blerina Rogova Gaxha agrees.
“It is an iconic object of Kosovar culture, giving Pristina itself identity because it is the main object in the capital that catches the eye,” Rogova Gaxha told AFP.
Its design pays homage to the ancient cultures that had once ruled Kosovo, she said — Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans and Illyrians.
– ‘Gelatinous eggs’ –
But for newcomers to the Kosovo capital, the cultural references and architectural brilliance are not always apparent at first, or even second, glance.
The Lonely Planet travel guide called the library “easily one of Pristina’s most notable buildings”.
“Think gelatinous eggs wearing armour,” it added.
“The building looks quite strange. It is brutalist architecture but interesting,” said Julie, a student from Warsaw, who was photographing the library from several angles.
“Maybe it is not the prettiest because it has a lot of concrete and is grey from the outside,” said Paula Gers, a student visiting from Germany.
“I wouldn’t rank it among the ugliest. I’ve seen much worse.”
For the library’s director, the ongoing debate over its aesthetics is a blessing in disguise.
“There are not as many readers as there used to be, but there are an extraordinary number of local and foreign visitors,” Gaxha said.
Everyone wants to come and have a look for themselves, she said, trying to work out “why is it considered the ugliest”, wanting to see it from the inside as well as from outside.
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