balconies in the Alipasino Polje neighbourhood of Sarajevo, the laundry providing some colour amidst the concrete
I am fully aware that not everybody is equally fascinated by our latest discovery, Brutalism. Which is why I will not flood the – already pretty flooded – main entry on Sarajevo with too many photos of apartment buildings from the communist era, when lots of accommodation was called for at low cost, yet still fitting the ideology.
the housing towers, with large patches of park green in between
The Alipasino Polje neighbourhood was built in the 1970s. It not only is home to some 27,000 people, but also shops and schools and playgrounds, the things that make a community, not just a housing estate. Whether this approach has been very successful is questionable, as it may have turned into a magnet for the unemployed and a hotbed of crime and drugs abuse. Not that we saw anything of that on our walk through the various sections, creatively called Faza A, B and C. Whatever, it is fascinating architecture, if you ask me.
the reality of Alipasino Polje
in close up it doesn’t look a lot jollier
different types of housing towers
differing in colour, at least
another of the designs
better viewed from a distance
attempts at some form of decoration
community facilities, like a school
and even a videoteka! – admittedly, closed by now
once more, a little colour from the laundry – very little
if you zoom in, you can get away from most of the concrete
some buildings have names, even
and this one comes from the internet, an overview of this jolly neighbourhood
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