Aula / Atrium
The CITY HALL
The City Hall is the symbol of Sarajevo which dominates the city’s landscape. Built in 1896 it is the most magnificent building created by the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Inspired by the Islamic art of North Africa and Spain, it was built in pseudo-Moorish style. This unique style is credited to the famous architect, Karel Paržik. Paržik designed a building in a form of an equilateral triangle with a central glass dome. The shape of the building was dictated the shape of the construction plot. The corner towers were also supposed to be covered with round domes, however the authorities were dissatisfied with some of the proposed designs. After Paržik rejected design changes requested by the government officials, the construction of the building was entrusted to Alexander Wittek. He twice went to Cairo for design ideas and finally modeled the City Hall building after the mosque and madrassa of Hassan II in this Egyptian city. Urban legend says that this project cost him his life. Due to objections that the building’s main hall does not receive enough daylight, he developed a mentally illness and committed suicide. The completion of the building was then entrusted the third and final architect, Ćiril Iveković.
When it opened, the building was used by the city government and administration. After the 2nd World War it became the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In the night between the 25th and the 26th August 1992, the Bosnian Serb attacked and burned down Sarajevo City Hall. The barbaric intention to destroy the culture of one nation failed as the most valuable exhibits were saved from the burning building. This act of vandalism and the building’s resurrection turned the City Hall into the symbol of indestructibility of Sarajevo.
The reconstruction of Sarajevo City Hall lasted from 1996 to 2014 and was done according to the original documentation. The building was officially reopened on the 9th May 2014, the Day of Europe which is also the Day of Victory over Fascism.
ATRIUM
The Atrium is a fascinating and breath-taking hexagonal-shaped hall located in center of the building. It is surrounded by the massive gallery with an arcade, resting on stone pillars and arches made from bricks. The space of atrium extends in its total height through two floors supporting the construction of the gallery, attic, stained glass ceiling and main glass dome above it all. Stone as a basic construction material has also been used as decorative element. In total, over dozen different types of stones were used with different aesthetic and visual appearance to create the most spectacular effect.
The space of Atrium is extravagantly decorated with oriental hand-painted motifs and relief ornaments in gypsum stucco seamlessly interconnected with the stained glass ceiling. With diameter of 11.5m (38 feet) this mesmerizing hexagonal shaped window contains 829 pieces of hand-painted colored glass. The gallery, the attic and the stained-glass ceiling represent the most beautiful decorative element of the building. Above the stained-glass there is an impressive reinforced glass dome which serves as a protection for the glass ceiling but more importantly, it is the main source of natural light in the Atrium.
As the most beautiful and representative space in the City Hall, Atrium is used for exhibitions, concerts, receptions and others ceremonies. In 2014 Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra held a concert to commemorate the centennial anniversary of the Sarajevo Assassination and beginning of World War 1. Even during the reconstruction of the building, Atrium was host of many cultural events and world famous people.