Macedonian Foreign Ministry To Get New Building

The building, part of the controversial city revamp project dubbed “Skopje 2014”, is expected to solve the problem of a lack of office space for the Ministry’s staff.
 
“The Ministry will finally get its own home and functional facility, which will fully address its basic and unique role - to present the statehood and dignity not only of the Macedonian state, but also of all our citizens,” Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski noted.

At the moment the ministry staff works in several administrative buildings spread across the city. The new building will be located in the city centre on the left bank of the Vardar river and will cost some €16 million.

The building, covering 13,500 square meters, will include two underground levels, a ground floor, seven floors and a flat balcony.

The unexpected location of the new facility, which is situated very close to the river, as well as its style, which draws its origins from classical architecture, are the subject of much controversy.

In February the authorities presented video footage showing the vision of the government funded revamp project for the capital's downtown area. The new Ministry of Foreign Affairs building was part of the showcase, portraying among other thing elaborate bronze monuments, arches, obelisks, cascading fountains, new bridges, and buildings with wide domes depicting a blend of classical and baroque architecture.

The Association of Architects of Macedonia and opposition political parties rebuffed the plan as anachronous, incompetent and too costly, but the government has continued to move the project forward, with some estimates that it will cost over €200 million.