By Filip Koneski

Why Skopje?

Skopje is the capital of Republic of Macedonia.Today in Skopje, live more than  600 000 people  with the surroundings and daily visitors almost 1 000 000 people. This growth is 3-5 time for ½ century. In the last 25 years, in the period of transition and changing period from socialism in capitalism the urbanism and architecture are in process of degradation, managed by bad laws and “urban mafia”.In this period, the authorities lost control above the individual will of inhabitants in collective buildings. They started to transform balconies into extra room, the public flat roofs into personal space for upgrading the flats and similar degradation of the identity of the object, function, security etc. This process is still ongoing, and the situation is getting worst every day, because of ignorance  of the authorities on the profesionals. The last attack against the rational architecture, was the legalization of every un legal building on the country’s terittory. Skopje already began with the upgrading the  space above the city but in wrong direction , so we can say that “ The rural village was born above the city”. We need to rethink the old buildings in new context  and to show how it can be done, true the critics,comparison and new solution - suggestion which is in the proper context of the contest brief. Almost 50 % of the building are attacked by this uncontrolled interventions without aesthetic rules.So lets show how can be build “The city above the city”.

Metsä Wood challenged architects and students around the world to push the boundaries of modern wood building design in the urban environment. Entrants from 40 countries created their Plan B to urbanisation using wood (Kerto® LVL – laminated veneer lumber) as the main material. The task was to design a wooden extension to an existing urban building. The entries were designed to 69 cities worldwide.