VIRTUAL London.

Abstract

Architecture has the ability to tap into an occupant’s experiences through senses and emotions. Streets, plazas, and buildings are considered spaces of individual and collective memories. They tell stories, transcribe history, and contribute to building national identity. With its functional and symbolic importance in society, architecture has been at the center of wars and conflicts since the earliest built structures. The destruction of an “enemy’s” administrative buildings, places of worship, and even homes strikes at the very core of their cultural identity. As humans strive for an identity, the ruble is not an end. Throughout time, the process of rebuilding has been demonstrated to be infused with powerful meaning. The restoration of buildings and homes becomes a gesture of pride, and the construction of new ones symbolizes power. This paper poses the question: How does architecture help foster dialogues and create collective identity? The aftermath of the conflict and destruction that occurred in the 1990s during the Bosnian War is still evident in the thousands of destroyed streets, buildings, and homes. Today, the ruins serve as daily reminders of the atrocities that have occurred and are preventing reconsolidation and coexistence. Packed with mistrust, poor cooperation, negative dialogue, and divided politics, the country pleads for a collective platform. This paper focuses on the region of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a precedent for analyzing and examining architecture as a vessel for identity during destruction and reconstruction. It explores possible urban interventions that can form networks and cultivate identities, fostering a dialogue between the past and the future and reinforcing a sense of place amidst changing urban landscapes.