Architects of Spens

In June 2022, the designers of Novi Sad’s Spens gathered in Novi Sad for the panel discussion “Spens: The Continuity of an Idea – Conversations with the Architects of Spens.” The panel guests were members of the teams led by Professors Janković and Bulić from the Institute of Architecture and Urbanism, part of the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism in Sarajevo, which developed the design for the Centre. For the first time in 40 years, the architects shared their memories and experiences from designing one of the most significant buildings in both Novi Sad’s and Yugoslav architecture.
Participants in the discussion included: Dr. Duško Bogunović, architect (Auckland, NZ); Dr. Davor Senečić, architect (Zagreb/Vienna); Branislav Kovačević, architect (Moscow); Nebojša Krošnjar (Novi Sad).
This gathering in Novi Sad was occasioned by contact with colleagues Bogunović and Kovačević during the preparation of the book Spens: The Mark of the City,  and the desire to establish communication with the broader team to keep the Centre in focus due to various ongoing projects.
The conversation touched on their professional beginnings at the Institute, the individuals who shaped their early careers, and the Spens project itself, which for many of them became the professional foundation for their future work. They also discussed the circumstances surrounding the closed competition in which the Institute participated, the team’s working organisation, and their communication with the construction site in Novi Sad.
Topics such as the building’s urban planning concept, the authors’ perspectives on its design, the prevailing architectural trends of the late 1970s, and the technical solutions and their feasibility in realisation all helped to illuminate the creation of the largest indoor sports facility in the country.
The future of Spens was discussed in relation to plans for its reconstruction. They emphasised that the building’s concept lends itself well to such an approach, highlighting the importance of ecological and energy efficiency improvements and addressing the broader issue of architectural resilience in the cities of the future.