Is This the World’s Ninth Ugliest Building?

Pristina | 04 December 2009 | Lawrence Marzouk

Pristina National Library

Pristina’s landmark National Library has been ranked the ninth ugliest building in the world.

The strange construction, which was inaugurated in 1982, was handed the unfortunate accolade by members and editors of the website VirtualTourist.com.

The website wrote: “It's hard to know whether the honeycomb-pattern mesh that coats the outside of this library enhances or worsens this bizarre structure.

“It's been said that when the building first opened, some thought the giant net-like feature was actually scaffolding.”

The library was designed by the Croatian architect Andrija Mutnjakovic and inaugurated in 1982.

The building was designed so that the famous white glass cupolas would let in the maximum amount of natural light while the metal grid covering the building deflects the sunlight, to protect the books. Some 99 white domes adorn the National and University Library.

Moreover, the white domes symbolize the plis, the traditional Albanian hat, thus combining the practical effect of supplying natural light with a celebration of historical values.

The national library features alongside such beauties as an unfinished hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, and a derelict theatre in Baltimore, USA.

“Many of these buildings don't have the warmth of an ice cube while others don't even seem completed. Either way, they make for very interesting conversation,” said VirtualTourist.com general manager Giampiero Ambrosi.

But not everyone has such harsh views about Prihtina’s extraordinary library.

The guide, Pristina in Your Pocket, described the structure as ‘simultaneously gorgeous and absurd’ and labels the interior ‘beguiling’.

The Bradt Guide to Kosovo describes the building as one of the most interesting buildings architecturally in Pristina.

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Comments:

Library
2009-12-04 18:49:37

... so what do the locals think of it?

That's a bit harsh
2009-12-05 13:45:06

I don't think it looks that bad. Certainly not the ninth ugliest building in the world.

Pristina
2009-12-06 18:25:29

Yes it is. Pristina is well known for it's ugly architecture. There r many buildings that can compete for top10 world ugliest. This night image of the Pristina Library is even 'ok', cause u don't see anything. But if u look at it by day light...Oh, Jesus... They must build completely new city if they want it to look...decent.

Ugly buildings, cool city
2009-12-07 10:45:58

Thanks for a funny and interesting article! It true what is said of Prishtina sometimes actually: there are really strange and ugly buildings to be found there! Thought the library fist just was a good looking prison first.... But it’s a really cool city otherwise; place to some of world’s best nightclubs and bars at night.

library
2009-12-08 17:07:40

actually I always thought of having some minarets attached to the building would get a descent picture of a big mosque, at least! hahah, well it wouldnt be more scandalous than having the orthodox church in the UP property, would it?:)

cool building, cool city
2009-12-08 17:20:37

Talk about ugly buildings?!! Just turn your head few degrees, and you’ll see an enormous absolute disaster sticking out from the ground. That would be the orthodox church that was built in the 90’s during the Serbian rule under Milosevic. In order to demonstrate supremacy of Serbian culture over Albanian, the Serbian authorities decided to construct a massive 80 feet tall Orthodox church in Prishtina, thereby ignoring all existing building regulations. The Prishtina National Library has a great character. It was built during the Yugoslav era while a new wave of building apartment blocks were built by communist urban planners and large socially owned enterprises. This (for you who have no clue what happened here) was taking place under the slogan “Destroy the Old, Build the New” which was initiated by the officials that completed the destruction of old bazaar and other Ottoman era monuments, Catholic churches, old artisan buildings and many other old style Architecture structures. During my research for library structures I found the PNL building in many architecture books in Columbia University, Yale and other university libraries. Now if you try to do research for communist blocks in former Yugoslavia, oh God, good luck with that – talk to me in 20 years. Perhaps Russian universities would be your best chance to come up with something productive.

ugly buildings
2009-12-09 21:08:35

Ilir USA, obviously the people choosing don't agree with you. Aren't you just a bit too racist and biased to judge? Judging by what you write here you are definately talking out of hatred for Serbian Orthodox anything not out of some sense of taste. Could you be any more obvious? I agree that federation square in Melbourne is not a pretty picture at all. Thank God they removed that yellow whatever it was (not art that's for sure).

library
2009-12-10 00:56:18

that church looked nice when i was in pristina, library is not ugly, if it is it definetly is not 9th ugliest. they should pay attention to surounding buildings,or those in afghanistan or zaire...

Interesting
2009-12-10 04:26:21

That night shot actually looks pretty cool. But take a look at a day shot of it. That scaffolding net around it is bizarre.

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Is This the World’s Ninth Ugliest Building?