The Kolašin Memorial Center, exactly 100 meters long, is a “building-monument” to cultural heroes. … The building is composed as a dynamic aggregation of triangulated volumes executed in smooth concrete. Mušič argued that the roofscape replicates local vernacular architecture, while the dramatic geomorphic form of the complex refers to the Tara River canyon. Excerpt from Maroje Mrduljaš’s article in: SOS Brutalism: A Global Survey. Catalog DAM + Wüstenrot Foundation, Zurich (Park Books) 2017

Since the break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s and the associated wars in the region, the Kolašin Memorial Center has fallen into a state of disrepair due to neglected maintenance, as funding for it was stopped by the local authorities. While the landscaping of the grounds was still maintained (lawns were mowed, etc.), the exterior of the building was in a visibly poor condition with weathered and stained concrete walls and traces of vandalism in the form of graffiti. From the inside, the increasing dilapidation was evident through water damage, mold, cracks and chips in the concrete, broken windows and scattered furniture. Plants also began to grow inside. Access to the building was blocked to the public by security guards.

Due to its dilapidated condition, the building was increasingly perceived by some locals as an eyesore for the city center, although it is actually one of the most important examples of post-war architecture in the whole of Montenegro. At the end of the 2000s, there were even plans to demolish the building and convert the site into a tourist complex. However, this was not realized due to a budget crisis. 

The threat of demolition now seems to have passed, as the Kolašin Memorial Center has been renovated with completion in 2024. Reports from January 2024 indicate that there were complaints that the work was carried out without sensitivity to aspects of architectural preservation or proper supervision by a conservator. During the renovation, the Kolašin Memorial Center should have been treated as a monument. The local monument authority remained silent about the allegations. In fact, in photos from the summer of 2024 uploaded to Google Maps, you can see that the exposed concrete architecture with its characteristic triangulated volumes has been plastered over and painted a stark white. This measure destroys the quality of the original brutalist façade and thus impairs the appearance of the entire building.

This building was included in the red list, published in our exhibition catalog SOS Brutalism: A Global Survey (September 2017). After a status review on December 5, 2024, it is still classified as red (endangered) in the online database.