Autor: KONNTRA
KONNTRA is an architecture office based in Slovenia, Macedonia and Croatia. KONNTRA is a result of friendship and belief in something unachievable. With an ascetic style in their architectural communication, they strive to generate emotions and define a new type of poetics of space while creating architecture that does not see borders or boundaries.
Creating an architecture close to their personalities
Our communication started 4 years ago, as part of one Summer School of Architecture in Split, Croatia, which is halfway between our home towns of Skopje and Portoroz. The theme of the event was «Boundaries and Borders». Coincidence or not, that year we began to think about architecture in a different way, and this workshop was a great opportunity to share our thoughts and ideas. Inspirational circumstances and continuous communication were an excellent basis for the formation of KONNTRA. This was the beginning of creating an architecture that was closer to our personalities, allowing people to experience and dream as we are. Even today, with every new project we are trying to prove that borders and boundaries in our case, do not exist.
Becoming successful
For us KONNTRA is a story worth mentioning. In the beginning of last year, KONNTRA was an «experiment», and then we found an answer to our question «what if?» With or without expectations of what our experiment would reveal, we found that our ideas provided good results. The desire to prove ourselves as a successful team started with the participation on various projects and competitions in the field of architecture. The awards and acknowledgement of our work was a great motive for the future, but also a moment of reality that we are a team of successful young architects.
Finding a routine in constant change
The answer to this question is that there is actually no routine! KONNTRA is part of our professional and private life. The most important thing is to have continuity.
Constant movement is actually our continuity and routine. For us, distance and diversity is a challenge and not an obstacle. We were raised in different places and have gained work experience in various backgrounds, which gave us a chance to have a different approach to new opportunities. It is more challenging to harmonise and create something specific and extraordinary, even though we were living in different countries. While working on a variety of projects, our daily routine is a changing experience finding a motive and inspiration.
Virtual and physical communication
At the initial stage, the KONNTRA team started to work through online communication (texts, emails, file sharing, video calls). We have experienced a viral workspace in real life.
In the beginning, almost 1000 km were separating us. On one side Mirjana and Silvija, and Erik on the other. At the same time, this asceticism in communication sometimes helped us to abstract and crystallise our thoughts and ideas. In just a few lines, or with just one picture you have to literally show your thoughts. All this time, it was somehow a game of communication. Sometimes we understood each other wrong, but those different views resulted in something positive and unexpected.
Early success leading to a “new wave” in practice
KONNTRA was and still is an ongoing experiment. In one year we managed to participate in 4 competitions; 3 of them were awarded the 1st place, and one of them the 4th place. This is how, our expectations become reality. Each of these projects has its own specific story. Each day is a new journey for us, facing new challenges that help KONNTRA grow. This is the beginning of creating a “new wave” of architecture that eliminates boundaries and limits. Architecture that is close to our personalities, allowing the community to live the dream together with us. Who knows what is coming next!