Montenegro, which has seen an increase in tourist arrivals in recent years, announced a new project. The Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property of Montenegro revealed the results of an international competition for the new Museum District and Park of Arts & Culture in Podgorica, Montenegro’s capital city.

© Emmeworks for a-fact

The winning proposal, led by Milan- and London-based practice A-fact Architecture Factory, in collaboration with LAND, Maffeis Engineering and Charcoalblue, was selected from 48 entries by an international jury. The project will be a new cultural district consolidating three institutions, Museum of Contemporary Art of Montenegro, Natural History Museum of Montenegro and Park of Arts & Culture, within a landscape reconnecting the city to Morača River.

Strategically nestled between Podgorica’s Gorika Hill and Malo Brdo Hill, the project site will command a prominent presence. Drawing inspiration from Montenegro’s vibrant natural surroundings and the historical ambiance of Podgorica, including the Old Town precincts of Stara Varos, the vision for the new Arts and Culture District centers around combining the built environment with nature.

© Emmeworks for a-fact

Two main contexts and environments will work together as an interconnected green platform: Park of Arts & Culture, situated closer to the city but densely planted, and Morača River Park, which sits at a lower level compared to the former park. Morača River Park relates to and interacts with the river itself, designed to safely accommodate any extreme flooding.

Inspired by Montenegro’s natural terrain, stone cladding pays homage to the encircling mountains while establishing a new iconic architectural scene that enhances the park and river scenery. What the buildings take away from the land is returned through a generous roof that seamlessly merges with the landscape, creating a new natural outdoor gathering place with stunning views over the riverwalk. Vegetation on the roof blurs the lines between the building and terrain, ensuring continuous movement across the landscape and enriching local biodiversity.

The new Museum District and Park of Arts & Culture will also create new urban attractions, hosting programs of public events to celebrate culture, arts and heritage. Its iconic design will attract additional visitors from all over the world, fostering cultural exchanges.

© Emmeworks for a-fact

The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Natural History Museum, and Park of Arts & Culture will offer permanent and temporary exhibitions, research labs, informal meeting spaces, a new botanical garden and a large flexible outdoor space for events that complement the new riverfront views.

Sustainability lies at the heart of the project, which aims to adopt and integrate passive and active environmental strategies, reducing overall energy consumption for heating and cooling, artificial lighting, and potable water use. Additionally, the implementation of modern construction techniques, combined with the use of local materials, has a positive impact on the buildings’ life cycle and reduces their carbon emissions.

The landscape design, with its blue-green infrastructure, starts with an analysis of the site to incorporate existing values and improve the park’s biodiversity with the retention of 290 trees, and the addition of 532 new trees of different species and 900 new shrubs. In addition, the museum park’s connections to the city are emphasized with a focus on the riverfront and improved access for residents and visitors. An estimated completion date was set at 2030.

“What we will have here when completed is a new architecture that generates a new river landscape and thus connects the river with the city,” said Andreas Kipar, founder and CEO, LAND. “The project is a contribution to river regeneration within the European Nature Restoration Law.”