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IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI
IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI won the open international competition for their design intervention at
the River Piva in Mratinje, Montenegro in 2009. The design strategy was to illuminate the natural and
engineered elements of the site, located at the Piva-Mratinje Hydro-Power Plant, built in 1975 at the
narrowest point of the river. As a whole, the intervention is located on the sunny end of the damn in front
of the concrete reinforcement of the cliff.
Conceived in five phases, the architecture is designed in such a way that it can become occupiable at any
stage of completion. The project consists of five elements: Tower-Down, Plateau, Tower-Up, Bridge, and
Floating Platform. These magnifiers of natural and technological elements seek to address the humility of
architecture in this sublime junction of the natural and man-made.
Read on for more on this project after the break.

Courtesy of
IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI
The intervention allows tourists and citizens alike to view the wonders of the dam, the river and the cliffs
from various levels. Each of the five phases allows astounding views from different vantage points that
magnify the intensity of the sights. The first of the five phases is the Tower-Down, which is a construction
that protrudes twenty meters from the cliff and hovers just ten meters above the dam. A heavy concrete
core cantilevers light terraces, revealing sights of both sides of the dam.

Courtesy of
IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI
The second phase is the Plateau, an observation deck atop the dam that houses a visitor center with its
two sides fully glazed underneath. The views here open up to distant sights of the canyon and the
proximate technological spectacle of the dam and man-made waterfall.

Courtesy of
IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI
Tower-Up is located behind the dam, overlooking the accumulation lake. It makes contact with the
mountain at the highest possible accumulation level and rises up thirty meters to reach the top of the
existing concrete reinforcement of the upright cliff. This phase houses a mountain dormitory and a doubleheight cantilevered assembly space with views oriented to the lake.

Courtesy of
IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI
The two towers are connected by the fourth phase, the Bridge, which is suspended on two steel trusses,
fully opened to the dam and the lake. A vertical view opens up to the bare cliff, strewn with pine trees
hanging from it. From this point, the natural and technological aspects of the site can be observed, as well
as the content of the proposal: The Nature and Technology History Museum, which will exhibit artefacts
related to the dams construction, and collections of wild-life and plant-life of the surrounding area. The
museum will have glazed sides enfolded in a metal lattice to promote views and to protect against
rockslide or avalanche.

Courtesy of IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI

The final element that will provide the ultimate experience of the profound experience of the site is the
floating platform, which will rise and fall with the lake as it accumulates and is released by the dam. The
platform will slide along a two-hundred meter inclined truss as the accumulation level descends and at its
lowest levels will provide access to the opposite shore. Its program also entails a dock for small excursion
boats and an interior that is a perfectly sealed restaurant always half-sunken in the lake. With eyes exactly
on the calm water, visitors will be able to experience unbroken views from within the restaurant.

 Aleksandra
Dabanovic and IVANIIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI
IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI recycle the phenomena of the site with their strategy of opening up
various views out onto the natural and man-made landscape. All five phases will be constructed out of
materials of the local building industry, using the local labor force and basic materials suitable to the harsh
climate to animate the domestic economy.
Architects: IVANIIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI: Krunoslav Ivaniin, Lulzim Kabashi, Iva Ivas
Collaborators: Kristina Krajai, Konstantina Kralj, Tena Lazarevi, Ana Ranogajec
Location: Mratinje, Montenegro
Client: Republic of Montenegro, Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment
Collection: IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI
Photo: Aleksandra Dabanovi / IVANISIN. KABASHI. ARHITEKTI

Vinnitskaya, Irina. "Magnifiers of Natural and Technological Elements Competition Winner / IVANIIN. KABASHI.
ARHITEKTI" 16 Dec 2010. ArchDaily. Accessed 19 Apr 2015. <http://www.archdaily.com/?p=96496>

The proposal Poetic/ Pathetic by Ivanisin. Kabashi. Arhitekti from Zagreb, Croatia has won the open
international competition for the development of the Mratinje Dam Complex in Montenegro that was
launched by the Montenegrin Ministry for Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection. The
competition aims to initiate development and economical growth of the Northern Montenegrin regions
by promoting the beautiful landscape and establishing landmarks for tourism.

Click above image to enlarge

Site

The existing Mratinje power plant was constructed in 1975. Its concrete arch dam is the fifth biggest of
its kind in the world. At the time of construction, this was the biggest and technically most demanding
construction site in former Yugoslavia. Before the Piva River canyon was flooded, a sixteenth century
monastery of great cultural significance had to be moved to a higher position. A little city was built on
the shore of the accumulated lake to provide housing for employees of the power plant. Today, the
municipality of Pluzine counts some 5,000 inhabitants.

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Site close-up

Although not natural by their origin, the accumulation lake and the concrete dam itself offer a
spectacular sight which is still rather missing on most tourist itineraries. Further development of the
Mratinje area should generate tourist interest for this part of the country. The Mratinje dam and lake
are to be established as its central attraction.

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Situation plan

In evaluating the competition entries, the jury wanted to encourage the visions that promote
symbiosis of the natural and the man-made, environmental protection and technological achievements
at the same time, as Branislav Gregovic, Deputy Minister and member of the competition jury has put

it in the national newspapers. The winning project Poetic / Pathetic proposes construction in five
subsequent phases.
Heres a detailed project description we received from Ivanisin. Kabashi. Arhitekti:
1. HEROIC LANDSCAPE
Poetic and pathetic; this is how an Italian botanist has described the Montenegrin nature some
hundred years ago. Mratinje area, where the washed- out gigantic dam has become an integral part of
the landscape is the best proof for such a reading, even thou it is hardly natural for at least for the
last thirty-five years.

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Collage

It is certain that the scenery of the Piva river gorge was astonishing also before the dam was erected
in the most logical place, where the canyon narrows at most. Big infrastructural interventions usually
benefit from the strategic positions they logically occupy. Still, natural and technological elements
rarely blend so natural as they do here. With construction of the dam, the narrow gorge and steep
cliffs have become only narrower and steeper. Their natural properties have been magnified.
Occasionally, when it rains a lot and accumulation level is high, they are additionally adored with
aerosol of the impressive waterfall. On the other side of the dam, an impressive liquid platform of the
varying level was created, that measures the natural elements, again magnifying their inhuman
proportions.

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Sections

With weathering, the dam has become an integral part of nature; an entirely new and totally artificial
natural rarity of Montenegro, perfectly nested in its scarce karst embossment. Properties of this
heroic landscape where natural and technological elements were united in creation of an
extraordinary melancholic beauty are departure point for this project.
The arch of the dam spans between the two steep cliffs of the riverbed. Its two sides feature radically
different conditions. On the South- eastern side the vegetation is lush although it is rarely in the sun.
North-western side is sunny but the vegetation is rather scarce here, perhaps due to the harsh winds.
The gorge in front of the dam is humid and dark, the accumulation lake behind is brightly reflecting
the surrounding huge limestone mountains. Its level alters at maximum difference of about eighty
metres.

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View from the floating platform

2. MAGNIFIERS OF NATURAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL ELEMENTS

Proposed intervention is concentrated on the sunny end of the dam, in front of the concrete
reinforcement of the cliff. Conceived in five phases it can work well at any stage of completion. The
subsequent phases introduce five houses- devices; magnifiers of natural and technological
elements of this heroic landscape:

Click above image to enlarge

Model lake side high accumulation

PHASE I: PLATEAU
Plateau is an observation deck in the level of the top of the dam, cantilevered on two steel trusses that
are anchored in the bare rock. Underneath is the visitor centre with its two sides fully glazed, opening
the views to the natural spectacle of the canyon on one side and to the technological spectacle of
the dam on the other.

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Model lake side low accumulation

PHASE II: TOWER- DOWN

Tower- Down protrudes from the cliff about twenty metres down in front of the dam. With its upper
part it is attached to the plateau, rising above it for about ten metres. With a system of light terraces
cantilevered from the heavy concrete core, it reveals sights of the both sides of the dam.

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Model gorge side

PHASE III: TOWER- UP

Tower- Up is placed on the other side, overlooking the accumulation lake. It touches the mountain in
highest accumulation level and rises up for about thirty metres until reaching the top of the existing
concrete reinforcement of the upright cliff. This tower consists of the heavy concrete core and light
cantilevers too. It houses a mountain dormitory oriented to the lake views and a two storey assembly
space cantilevered to the opposite side.

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Model photo

Click above image to enlarge

Model photo

PHASE IV: BRIDGE

Bridge is suspended on the two steel trusses that stretch between the two towers. This double height
space is fully open to the dam, the lake and the mountains in the back. To the rear side, a dramatic,
almost vertical view opens up to the bare cliff with pine trees literally hanging from it and the massive
concrete reinforcement planted at its bottom. From this space, the natural and technological
phenomena may be fully observed from the distance, forming the perfect background for its proposed
content. The Nature and Technology History Museum would exhibit artefacts related to the
construction of the dam and collections from the wild life of the surrounding area together,
emphasizing thus the natural and technological character of the site. Its glazed sides are enfolded
in metal lattice, to regulate the insulation and for protection of the possible rockslide or avalanche.

Click above image to enlarge

Model photo

Click above image to enlarge

Model photo

PHASE V: FLOATING PLATFORM

Floating platform offers ultimate experience of the natural and the technological elements, making
the most of the artificial nature of the accumulation lake. At the highest accumulation level, the
natural buoyancy keeps the round shaped platform attached to the north- western shore of the lake.
As the accumulation level descends, the platform slides down the two hundred metres long inclined
truss that works as the access ramp too. At the lowest accumulation level, the platform would
eventually endorse the opposite shore. Its upper surface is a dock for small boats. Inside, it contains a
perfectly sealed restaurant, always half sunken in the lake. With unbroken view outside it would offer a
rare experience of enjoying the meal with eyes exactly in the height of the calm water mirror that
changes its level according to natural cycles and technological intervention.

Click above image to enlarge

Floating platform interior

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Floating platform interior

3. A PROPOSITION TO REFLECT UPON

Presented with this project is a sequence of event- spaces that create their own contexts tightly bound
to the phenomena found of the site. With its gradual realisation, the potentials of the site would be not
only revealed but also magnified. Basic materials are concrete and steel, suitable to the harsh climate
and adaptable to the local labour force. The floating platform, the trusses for the plateau and the
bridge and finally the sliding truss of the platform could be completed in the shipyards on the Adriatic
coast animating again the domestic economy. However small in scope, the construction process would
eventually sophisticate the local building industry.

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Floor plans

This proposition was conceived as a catalyst of the tourist industry too. With completion of the
separate phases, the tourist capacity of the whole Montenegrin North would parallel grow. The
proposed intervention would serve as a departure point for various excursions, from one- day visits to
the dam to longer stays related to joys of hiking in the surrounding mountains, rafting in the river,
rowing in the lake, gastronomic tours in the nearby villages, hunting and bird- watching in the forests
and of a very new sport: spotting of natural and technological beauties.
Magnifiers of natural and technological elements would magnify the local economy too.

Click above image to enlarge

Floor plans

Images: Ivanisin. Kabashi. Arhitekti