The Architecture of The Post-Earthquake Renewal of Skopje

Abstract

On July 26th Skopje suffered a catastrophic earthquake; more than 1.000 victims were identified, over 3.300 people were injured, while approximately 70-80% of the total built stock was either destroyed or damaged beyond repair. The city was literally reduced to rubble. Vastly devastated, the city of Skopje was built anew under the patronage of the United Nations and with the support from more than 80 countries worldwide. As Yugoslavia was one of the leaders on the non-aligned movement, help started to “pour” into Skopje both from the East and the West. In the middle of the Cold War, at a time when the polarization between the two conflicting political blocks was at its peak, Skopje’s post-earthquake renewal process defined solidarity and cooperation as its leading principal. Soon after the earthquake, the federal government asked the United Nations for assistance; on the one hand, it was obvious that the scope and complexity of the whole endeavor was far beyond the capacities of the local planers and architects. On the other hand, it was a huge opportunity to bring together international experts (both from the East and the West) and envision a new “city for the future”.