Ugly Or Awesome? Kosovo National Library Stirs Never-ending Debate

Sumaira FH Published December 06, 2024 | 12:50 PM

Pristina, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Dec, 2024) Smack in the middle of Kosovo's capital Pristina, the national library is all but impossible to miss.

To some it is an architectural wonder, with its bubble domes and shimmering steel lattice.

"It's the cherry on the cake of Pristina, and of Kosovo," declared local tourist guide Muamer Hasani.

Whenever you "search for something about Pristina, the first photo that comes up is of the national library," he added.

But for others, the building is an abomination.

"It's so ugly that it blinds you," said a middle-aged Pristina resident who asked not to be named.

"We've been living with it for decades and it hasn't been renovated yet. It's annoying, but what can we do?"

Opened in 1982, the library has witnessed Kosovo's occasional highs and bitter lows -- from the breakup of Yugoslavia to the bloody war with Serbia in the late 1990s, independence and all the turbulent history since.