Square of Orthodoxy, Derventa, BIH [Exhibition: 9th Barcelona lnternational Biennial of Landscape Architecture]

Abstract

Square of Orthodoxy (Trg Pravoslavlja) is situated in the center of Derventa in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the past, before the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there was the park with bistro and terrace. It was a meeting place, to enjoy the beautiful park ensemble. After the war, the park was treated as a town square and the site has undergone a number of changes: on the west side, the pedestrian street was made; on the top of the location, the monument was built on the top location and in the central part of the square, the Serbian Orthodox Church. The basic idea of planning the Square of Orthodoxy in Derventa is guided by the collective memory of the place in terms of reminiscences of past. The main reference for the design of the Square is in the fresco painting in Orthodox Church and cubism landscape design. Designing process took into account the low-budget of the project. The project respected an urban context, urban fabric and all client requirements. The problem of large deleveling of the Square (more than 7m) is solved by the cascading. The composition of greenery supports the existing one and particularly plane trees (genius loci). Landscape design and lighting design supports and highlights the bold sense of the space, the horizontal lines of the Square and vertical lines of the church. Since 2015, citizens of Derventa are using Square mostly for everyday children’s play, socializing and place for an active break. Several large public events were held there so far.