Under Construction [2023]
Since the end of the Kosovo War in 1999, Prishtina has undergone a rapid and often chaotic transformation. Cranes now dominate the skyline, and high-rise buildings have replaced the traditional homes that once defined the city’s urban landscape. Fueled by investments from Kosovo's vast diaspora, this construction boom has reshaped the capital, with over 6.5 million square meters of building permits issued in the past decade alone.
However, this rapid development has come at a significant cost. The absence of a strategic urban development plan has resulted in a cityscape marked by haphazard construction, where old Yugoslav-era buildings are demolished to make way for the new, often with little regard for architectural heritage or urban coherence.
This phenomenon extends beyond the capital’s borders. Across Kosovo, more than 350,000 buildings have been constructed, reflecting a broader trend of unregulated growth that has led to dense, disjointed neighborhoods, environmental degradation, and a housing market that remains inaccessible to many locals.
Kosovo today is a country caught between the demands of rapid capitalism and the remnants of its traditional identity, struggling to find balance in its urban development. In these series, I aim to capture this tension, documenting a country in flux— where the past and present collide in a fragmented landscape, and where the consequences of unchecked development are etched into its very fabric.
