VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages

Abstract

This paper analyzes the Kiosk K67 as a temporary urban intervention and its inadvertent success in the creation of communities. Designed in 1966 by architect Saša Mächtig, Kiosk K67 represented the spirit of a unified Yugoslavia. Over the years, it grew to represent more than simply a reinforced poly-fiber object. The K67 embodied an aspirational moment in the Yugoslav narrative of nation-building based on brotherhood and unity. K67 is more than a newspaper stand, a flower shop, a post office, or ticketing booth. It is a stage – a place for stories to be exchanged – a place of daily rituals. It transcends borders between architecture, industrial design, and urban planning. Its bright colors, sleek and shiny surface, and rounded corners not only point to the time of pop futurism but also make the kiosk an unavoidable moment of interaction – a meeting point. The K67 emerged during a time of national prosperity, when the country strove to achieve a better future for its citizens, and when the role of architecture was to represent collective pride and solidarity. During a time when architecture was forceful, consistent, and static, the K67 was adaptable, flexible, limitless, nomadic, and playful. Today, only a few K67s remain, but those that do continue to bring people together and create social networks. K67 is more than a memory. It speaks of a hopeful and aspirational time. More than that, Kiosk K67 is a protagonist in the story of Yugoslavia and all its people.