Introducing: The Palace of Youth and Sports

Manifesta 14 Prishtina has introduced many key locations around Kosovo’s capital city, where the European Nomadic Biennial will host 100 days of interventions, exhibitions and cultural events starting on the 22nd of July. Today’s venue, the final one that we will feature in this campaign, is both a venue for Manifesta 14 and where the biennial’s offices are located.

The Palace of Youth and Sports is a remarkable structure – a symbol for the city of Prishtina – where many activities are held throughout the year. It is a popular meeting spot, a stage, a place for cultivating talents and, importantly, a site that shapes the city’s identity.

In the realest sense, the Palace of Youth and Sports is a palace of, and for, the people. The decision to build the facility was made by a public referendum. A portion of the budget was provided by Prishtina residents, a portion of whose wages funded the construction effort.

Construction on the sprawling complex was started in 1977 with the completed premises opening to the public four years later, under the name “Boro-Ramiz” Youth and Sports Centre. Živorad Janković was responsible for the building’s singular design.

As its name suggests, The Palace of Youth and Sports has mixed use. It is still used as sporting grounds, where many teams practice and generations of Kosovar athletes have trained to excel. The palace’s Red Hall and Atelie Hall are spaces where the cultural community gathers to celebrate classical music and different forms of creative expression.

With each passing day, new chapters are written in the palace’s story. Prishtina’s Palace of Youth and Sports also has a high school, offices for public works, parking premises and a shopping centre. The most famous and longstanding tenant of the shopping centre is Elida – an old-fashioned sweet shop whose ice cream has been enjoyed by generations of Kosovars. The plateau regularly hosts concerts, fairs and pop-ups; it is also a favourite hangout for the young people who call Prishtina home.

As one of the Manifesta 14 Prishtina venues, the Palace of Youth and Sports celebrates free expression and has a long history of collective engagement. During Manifesta 14 Prishtina, we are excited to create more inclusive cultural activities within its walls!