Forms of remembrance
Amila and Velid Banda are an architectural duo based in Sarajevo. Their interests range across a broad spectrum of design, design philosophies, principles, and critique. Both of them earned a Master's degree in Architecture and Urbanism from the University of Sarajevo. Their individual and joint work has been recognised and awarded in numerous competitions and exhibitions. Apart from their day-to-day work in an architectural practice, Velid teaches in high school, and Amila writes.
While the growing presence of monuments in the post-war era confirms the importance of remembrance, their spatial and symbolic expressions are rarely criticized, are planned in ambiguous ways, and are usually neglected by passers-by. There are several types of monuments in Bosnia, ranging from simple plaques with lists of victims' names to sculptural works of art. Through the two competitions we worked on, we have questioned the future form of monuments. Can they have a purpose in landscape design without overpowering the initial essence of the memorial? We questioned whether they can convey a narrative? Can they invite emotional or physical engagement through spatial design?
Vlakno is the first project we have tried to design in this manner. We wanted it to be nonmonumental, light, yet intriguing enough for people to come and see what it holds inside. It was dedicated to the war victims, workers of the Kombiteks textile factory; therefore, the strings in the design.
Could design evoke empathy, grief, and remembrance of the victims? That was the paradigm for the second design, called Bol-ka. It is a project dedicated to the war victims of rape. Our aim was for it to evoke a feeling of claustrophobia, tightness, and anxiety inside the monument.