The architectural studio ARHINGinženjering from Podgorica has been awarded the prestigious Ranko Radović Award for 2025 in the category of realized architectural works. This recognition comes for their project, the Hadrovića Mosque, completed in 2024. The decision was made by a panel of experts who acknowledged the architectural significance, contextual sensitivity, and modern expression of this sacred structure.
The project team included Rifat Alihodžić as the responsible architect, alongside colleagues Jasmina Salković, Elvira Muzurović, and Branko Rabrenović. The jury was composed of prominent figures in architecture: Prof. Dr. Grozdana Šišović (chair), Prof. Mr. Zoran Abadić, and Prof. Dr. Đorđe Alfirević.
The award ceremony for the Ranko Radović Award will take place on December 22, 2025, at 12:00 in the Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation in Belgrade. This event will also feature an exhibition showcasing participants of the competition.
In addition to the recognition for ARHINGinženjering, the jury awarded prizes in other categories. In the category of critical-theoretical texts on architecture, urbanism, and the city, the award went unanimously to Milan Prosen, an associate professor and art historian, for his monograph titled “Palata Srpske akademije nauka i umetnosti,” published by the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2024. The jury for this category included Dr. Dijana Milašinović-Marić (chair), Prof. Dr. Ana Nikezić, and Dr. Sanja Simonović-Alfirević.
The Ranko Radović Award for television programs, exhibitions, or multimedia presentations was awarded to the team behind the project “Rasplitanje: Novi prostori,” realized within the Pavilion of the Republic of Serbia at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – Venice Biennale, which ran from May 10 to November 23, 2025. The recipients include Davor Ereš, Jelena Mitrović, Igor Pantić, Prof. Sonja Krstić, Prof. Ivana Najdanović, and Petar Lausović. The jury for this category was led by Prof. Dr. Aleksandra Pešterac, with members Doc. Dr. Vladimir Kovač and Doc. Dr. Ivan Šuletić.
The Ranko Radović Award is widely regarded as one of the most significant recognitions in the fields of architecture and urbanism in the region. This year’s winners underscore the breadth and relevance of contemporary architectural production, ranging from completed projects to theoretical work and innovative exhibition formats.
The award presentation and accompanying exhibition at the Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation will attract numerous architects, theorists, researchers, and cultural representatives. The importance of this year’s event is heightened by the international visibility of projects recognized as significant contributions to contemporary architecture.
Architect Rifat Alihodžić previously explained that the location chosen for the construction of the Hadrovića Mosque is at the intersection of four streets in the geographical center of the Drac neighborhood, making it a logical site for a religious building. He noted that this location formerly housed a mosque from the Ottoman period, which was demolished in 1956 during an ideological wave of the communist regime against religion.
The destruction of that mosque was part of a broader systematic campaign that resulted in the loss of various religious structures in Podgorica and Montenegro. According to Alihodžić, the demolition included the excavation of the mosque’s foundations and the loss of documentation, with only one facade photograph remaining.
As a result, the possibility of reconstructing the mosque on the original site was eliminated. An urban planning scheme adopted in the early 21st century paved the way for a new mosque to be built at this historical location. The recognition of the Hadrovića Mosque not only honors its architectural merit but also revives a significant cultural site, contributing to the community’s heritage.
