Ponikve Airport, Passenger Terminal

Ponikve Airport is located 12 kilometers in a straight line from the city of Užice. Its construction began in 1979 and was completed in June 1983. The runway is situated at an altitude of 918 meters above sea level. The official opening took place in August 1983, marked by the landing of five Galeb G-2 aircraft on the runway.

The airport complex spans an impressive area of 5,560,000 m² (556 hectares). Its infrastructure includes a 3,150-meter-long and 45-meter-wide runway, two aircraft parking platforms, and 20 shelters—hangars designed for housing and protecting aircraft.

From March 1992, Ponikve Airport was operationally used by the Yugoslav Army. This function lasted until 1995, when, following the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the airport was decommissioned for military air traffic.

During 1996 and 1997, the airport was also used for civilian purposes. A tourist aircraft operated twice weekly on the Belgrade–Ponikve–Tivat route and back, giving the airport significance in civilian air traffic.

In February 1998, the airport received a modern control tower, a newly constructed facility equipped with advanced navigation and control technology capable of supporting all types of military and civilian aircraft.

However, during the NATO bombing in 1999, the airport suffered significant damage. The runway and shelters were heavily damaged, rendering the airport inoperable.

The project assignment involved the revitalization of a single shelter located on the western side of the runway. The task was further complicated by the fact that the hangar had been heavily damaged by an aerial bomb, which had pierced the ceiling and detonated on the shelter’s floor.

At first glance, the topic seemed incredibly intriguing, and I quickly realized that this was one of those rare opportunities an architect gets in their career. Excited and a bit impulsively, I accepted the task without asking many follow-up questions.

However, only after agreeing, I received an additional request from the investor: it was essential to deliver a visual representation of the conceptual design within 24 hours. This presentation was to be shown to a team of people who were evaluating the project’s viability and allocating the necessary funds for its implementation. The urgency was heightened by the fact that these individuals were arriving the very next day, representing a unique opportunity to secure approval for the project.

Having already accepted the task, backing out was simply not an option. Still, I engaged in a constructive discussion, aiming to gather as much information as possible. With no time to delay, I quickly dove into the creative process of turning ideas into concepts. If you’ve ever worked on creative problem-solving, you know that tight deadlines and creativity rarely make for a perfect combination.

I focused my thoughts on this unique challenge, envisioning a structured building that stood defiantly against the gently undulating landscape. The location, on a clearing above Užice and Bajina Bašta, provided inspiration for a monumental yet elegantly integrated structure that “flirted” with nature. The idea evolved into a sketch, the sketch into a computer model, and the model was printed and triumphantly delivered to the investor within the deadline.

The investor, without much hesitation, insisted that I personally present the project to the decision-makers. I’m not someone who gets stage fright, neither during my school days nor in my professional career. I decided to conceal all minor dissatisfactions—those that always accompany creative work—and confidently stand before the decision-making team. Their evaluation was critical to the “life” of my project.

After a concise five-minute presentation, I received the final response—the project would receive funding. Along with that news, I was given an additional 24 hours to preliminarily estimate the construction costs based on the model. The requirement was clear: the work had to start immediately, and the project completion deadline, unrealistically set, was just seven days, with preparatory and earthworks to commence the very next day.

My objections to the impossible deadlines were met with no understanding. Urgency was the top priority, and it defied all design principles of thorough and detailed documentation preparation. I managed to secure their agreement only after clarifying that the documentation process would not delay construction. It was agreed that the project documentation would be delivered in phases, aligned with the progress of the work.

Despite the tight deadlines and challenges, the foundation drawings, complete with all necessary details for their execution, were delivered to the construction site just a few days after the initial meeting. This swift response allowed work to begin immediately, demonstrating the efficiency of teamwork and the importance of coordination among all project participants.

Inside the shelter, the damage caused by the detonation of the missile was clearly visible. The initial impact pierced the 55 cm thick reinforced concrete ceiling, leaving a massive hole as a testament to the power of the explosion. The missile then detonated on the floor of the shelter, causing severe structural damage that called into question the stability of the entire structure.

The repair of this damage involved the installation of a steel framework designed to support the existing concrete arches. This framework was crucial for ensuring stability and preventing further deterioration of the damaged shelter. The demand for precision and reliability was exceptionally high, given the challenges posed by the condition of the structure.

The works were carried out simultaneously at all positions, both inside and outside, on all parts that were accessible for work at the time. This coordinated work dynamic enabled the parallel repair of damages and the construction of new parts of the structure. As the works progressed, the newly designed structure gradually began to take shape, increasingly reflecting the projected appearance as outlined in the design.

Due to the short construction timeline, underfloor heating in the building had to be initiated before the roof structure was completed. Like many other tasks that are typically performed in a covered building, these had to be executed beforehand.

Roofing works were successfully completed on April 9, 2016, just 40 days after the start of the work, which represented significant progress in a very short time. The façade joinery was executed as a structural curtain wall. It was ordered according to the dimensions provided during the foundation work, which is not ideal practice since dimensions are usually taken on-site only after all openings are formed. However, in this case, everything was done according to the project, and the glazing work was successfully completed within the planned time frame.

The glass surfaces of the façade have a mirror effect, allowing the reflection of the surrounding natural environment. This reflection not only contributes to the aesthetic value of the building but also visually creates the effect that the building grows out of its surroundings, as a natural continuation of the landscape it is situated in.

The only idea that was not realized due to the short deadlines and speed of execution was the concept of installing a glass dome on the roof of the hangar. This dome would symbolically allow light to pass through a part of the ceiling damaged by an aerial bomb. This detail, in addition to providing functional lighting, would also have a narrative effect – for passengers arriving at the airport, it would convey the history of the place and the story of what happened there over the decades, as well as the origins of the building. Unfortunately, this concept remains recorded only here, as the speed of execution did not allow for its realization.

However, the idea of retaining the concrete elements of the entrance portal to the hangar in their original form was successfully implemented. The effect of contrast between the untreated, old concrete elements and the structural glass façade was achieved, creating a powerful fusion of opposites – the massive and the fragile.

The building was completely finished on April 17, 2016, just 46 days after the excavation began!

The work schedule was adhered to, all necessary permits and approvals were obtained, and the documentation for the issuance of the occupancy permit was prepared. The only remaining task was to complete the connection of the building to the electrical grid, but at that point, someone decided that it was not the right time for further investments in this airport, without offering explanations to the public as to why the entire project was halted. To this day, the airport building is not operational.

Since then, those making decisions have changed positions that could have positively influenced the opening of the airport. The entire complex was, in the years that followed, handed over to the state for management, probably because it became too great a burden for the city of Užice’s budget. However, this has not unlocked the doors of the building, and the flights we hoped for never materialized. Today, from this airport, only occasionally does an enthusiast take off with a small sport plane, without prolonged stays.

I hope that one day this complex will receive the attention it deserves, and that the building, which is part of this story, will come back to life, offering new passengers the chance to revive its soul and spirit. Until then, it will remain a testament to the endeavor of people who believed in the vision of reviving Ponikve Airport as a place that will once again become a center of activity and development.