State Audit Institution of Montenegro

Podgorica, Montenegro · 2022

Competition — Purchase Prize

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Building and public garden

The project

The proposal brings the institution's public and working spaces into a compact building on the planned extension of Hercegovacka street. Its parallelogram footprint responds to the site's geometry, while gently curved facade planes and continuous horizontal profiles soften the volume. Planted recesses extend Mediterranean greenery to the upper floors and bring the offices into close contact with nature.

The ground floor combines a welcoming entrance hall with a library, a multifunctional press and training room, meeting space and a café. Senate and administrative functions occupy the first floor, with audit departments arranged above. A central stair and lift core connects all levels; a glazed roof lantern is designed to draw daylight into the interior and support natural ventilation.

Environmental measures form part of the architectural concept: solar-control glazing and facade planting, a reflective roof, rooftop photovoltaics with energy storage, rainwater harvesting, permeable paving and efficient building services. These proposed strategies aim to reduce energy and water demand while supporting everyday comfort.

Location: Podgorica, Montenegro
Period: 2022
Category: Public
Project stage: Competition — Purchase Prize
Area: 3,673.74 m² gross floor area, including basements

Landscape concept

Mediterranean maquis in the urban fabric

Evergreen Mediterranean maquis shrubs on a coastal hillside — illustrative planting reference — Mediterranean maquis — an illustrative landscape reference for the planting concept.

The landscape concept takes the biotope of Mediterranean maquis as its model: a dense community of evergreen shrubs and low-growing trees associated with the Mediterranean landscape. Drawing an analogy between the urban fabric and degraded woodland, the proposal explores how this shrubby vegetation can bring a renewed presence of nature into the city.

Planted microenvironments at ground level and within the facade extend this idea through the building. Native evergreen shrubs are combined with dwarf conifers, including Pinus mugo, to form green pockets around everyday working spaces. At ground level, planted islands follow pedestrian routes, while greenery along the site edges creates a planted boundary.

This integration of landscape and architecture is intended to support natural air filtration and a more comfortable local microclimate. It also seeks to create the quiet, contemplative atmosphere of a zen garden for the building's users.

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Facade detail — Facade detail01

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Street corner — Street corner02

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Aerial roof view — Aerial roof view03

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Central stair and atrium — Central stair and atrium04

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Entrance facade — Entrance facade05

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Garden facade — Garden facade06

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Street approach — Street approach07

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Entrance landscape from above — Entrance landscape from above08

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Public garden approach — Public garden approach09

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Public garden paths — Public garden paths10

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Public garden aerial detail — Public garden aerial detail11

Drawings & studies

Select a drawing to enlarge

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Sunlight and daylight analysis — Sunlight and daylight analysis01

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Urban context plan - 1:1000 — Urban context plan - 1:100002

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Immediate context plan - 1:500 — Immediate context plan - 1:50003

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Ground-floor and roof plans - 1:200 — Ground-floor and roof plans - 1:20004

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — First and second basement plans - 1:200 — First and second basement plans - 1:20005

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — First-, second- and third-floor plans - 1:200 — First-, second- and third-floor plans - 1:20006

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Sections 1-1 and 2-2 - 1:200 — Sections 1-1 and 2-2 - 1:20007

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — South, east, north and west elevations - 1:200 — South, east, north and west elevations - 1:20008

State Audit Institution of Montenegro — Public-square landscape plan - 1:100 — Public-square landscape plan - 1:10009

Project credits

Competition commissioner: Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property of Montenegro
Award: Purchase Prize
Site area: 1,221 m²
Above-ground gross floor area: 1,794.42 m²

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