Podgorica Health Care Center Architectural Competition

Year2023

LocationPodgorica, Montenegro

StatusCompleted

Area15000 m²

TypologyHealth

TeamAli Önalp, Burak Yardımcı, Halil İbrahim Bayındır, Melis Üsküner, Sedanur Kambolat, Yeşim Demir

The urban texture of Podgorica has evolved eclectically over the centuries. Stara Varos, the city’s oldest residential area, is an Ottoman settlement of narrow streets and small dwellings, while Nova Varos, developing since the early 20th century, follows a classical grid plan. After the 1960s, development expanded west of the Moraca River as Novi Grad with a more functional layout. Each period brought its own urban character and architectural patterns.

The competition site lies between Novi Grad’s new district and the city’s rural edge, at the transition between recently developed medium-height dense housing and low-rise detached houses. This transition is the key urban parameter.

The main approach is expected from the dense south-east direction. “Cetinjski Put” from Budva to the city center is the main southern traffic axis, while the planned “Branka Deletica” road on the northwest border will connect Mihalia Lalica Boulevard to the M18 for fast traffic flow.

The site is within walking distance of the University of Montenegro and “Cetinjski Put”.

The concept aims to merge the historic corridor/ward system in healthcare buildings with the program, and to reference the surrounding building texture. The structure comprises functional units, some connected, some independent, with several requiring direct exterior access. This raises the challenge of designing multiple entrances while maintaining a unified organism.

Building Pattern
Transportation Connections
Landmarks & Pedestrian Connections

The design treats the program as distinct particles forming a gradual whole, creating a transition between small-scale surroundings and large city blocks. Massing shifts from 1–2 storey units in the northwest to 3-storey units toward the city center.

This is a reinterpretation of the ward plan: building units range from small to large, linked to a central spine, functioning both independently from outside and as connected branches of the main structure.