University library, Podgorica (MNE)
New building,
Timber construction
Client: Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property
Concept: Dietrich Untertrifaller
Competition: 2025, unawarded
Programme: auditorium, café, exhibition spaces, research areas, reading rooms, book archive, technical facilities and deliveries
Visualisations and plans: Dietrich Untertrifaller
Team: Much Untertrifaller, Mila Jeremić, Stefan Andrić, Boris Ivanović, Mona Nađ
In the summer of 2025, the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property launched an international architectural competition for the new university library in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. The new building is required to meet modern and environmental standards, as well as to accommodate a wide range of functions, creating spaces for knowledge, history, culture, learning, research and interaction.
The competition brief emphasised respect for the context and integration into the wider university campus, yet the building is also required to create a distinct visual identity. Our design proposal met these requirements through a subtly expressive architectural language inspired by folkloric and site-specific motifs.
Locally inspired elements
For the team at Dietrich Untertrifaller’s new office in Belgrade, the competition offered an opportunity to establish a foothold in the region. The design bridges the gap between design elements from one of the firm’s multi-award-winning projects and the specific requirements of the local context. The façade concept responds to the building’s function, evoking the spines of books through a series of horizontally arranged ceramic rods. This motif was already prominently featured in the completed municipal library in Dornbirn.
In Podgorica, the theme is interwoven with influences from regional craftsmanship. The library is designed as a place of contemplation where the echoes of a diverse cultural heritage converge: music, literature, history and traditional elements such as folk costumes or vibrant colours serve as inspiration for the interior design and the façade pattern.
A clearly defined spatial layout
The competition entry envisages a circular building with a rectangular shell. The form draws inspiration from the rural model of a circular threshing floor, known in the local dialect as a ‘gumno’. The functions build up gradually from the centre, ranging from public and interactive spaces at the bottom to quiet and contemplative ones at the top. This is also reflected in the urban design. The concept is based on the idea of a cultural centre that integrates seamlessly into the campus. For instance, the ground floor is designed to blend with the surrounding urban space through features such as flooring, structure and the way it is used.
The auditorium occupies a central position, around which there is space for exhibitions, a café, a foyer, infrastructure and the generous, surrounding circulation routes. This, in turn, weaves campus life together with the library. Inside, the design is dominated by wood and natural stone surfaces and plenty of light. A raised courtyard, known as the Gumno Garden, creates an intimate outdoor space and maximises natural light. Light-sensitive exhibits are situated in the interior spaces away from direct sunlight. The concentric spatial arrangement provides orientation and a clear structure within the multifunctional building.
Slim wooden structure
Alongside four reinforced concrete cores, timber construction is a dominant feature. A distinctive element is the external truss structure, whose struts extend over the full height of the building above ground level. The cross-laminated timber columns are spaced at 7-metre intervals, whilst the glulam beams span distances of between 5 and 8.5 metres. The primary structural concept is supported by truss elements on the first floor that run diagonally towards the bracing cores.
The striking structure is revealed through the translucent envelope made of small, white ceramic rods. Only the ground floor and the corners stand out from the homogeneously clad volume. This gives the library a high degree of recognisability from the outside, whilst inside the multiple functions are accommodated within a clear and inspiring environment.
