Competition for the conceptual urban and architectural design of a residential and commercial complex within the ‘city housing’ project in Podgorica (Montenegro)
2025

Within a rigid, car-oriented masterplan, we propose a reversal of the urban concept that maximises lot sizes and the continuity and breadth of public space.

The design of a Social Housing project today cannot ignore the definition of a recognisable public space and community identity. The starting point of the project is therefore the creation of the largest, richest, and most continuous outdoor public space, allowing the new community to find new forms of socialisation, mutual understanding, and dialogue; a space that expands the concept of living, from strictly personal spaces to places of mutual sharing, enriching the lives of the families who will settle here.

Within this extensive green infrastructure, the courtyards enclosed by the buildings accommodate gathering spaces (such as squares and playgrounds) and functions dedicated to residents and the neighbourhood.

The buildings reconstruct the alignments along the main roads, establishing themselves as elements of urban order within the highly informal public space: a continuous portico characterises the ground floor dedicated to services and common areas.

The distribution of the residential spaces follows a basic module, which becomes the organising element of the façades: the elevations of the new buildings are thus characterised by great geometric rigor, enriched by string courses that reduce the scale of the project, accommodating the human scale in the large quantities of space required while maintaining, at the same time, an extreme richness of detail, reminiscent of ancient European social housing projects.

The ground floor forges an emotional bond with the city of Podgorica, clad in pebbles from the Morača River, drawing on ancient local architecture while also paying homage to more modern examples, such as the Podgorica Hotel.

Credits
Type/Program: Public Building – Mixed Functions (Social housing, common facilities and commercial spaces)
Client: Capital City of Podgorica
Year: 2025
Location: “Konik – Stari aerodrom, Podgorica, Montenegro
Site area 18.673m2
Gross Floor Area 25.208 sqm
Status: International competition

Urban and Architectural Design: Quinzii Terna Architecture
With Dragana Mikavica Bernabè
Collaborators: Suchada Shovityakool
Images:  Quinzii Terna Architecture
Model:  Quinzii Terna Architecture