Bridges New bridge constructions Art Bridge The Skopje 2014 project calls for two new pedestrian bridges to be built across the
Vardar in the centre of the city. One is the Art Bridge, which is being constructed between the Freedom Bridge and the also under-construction Eye Bridge. It is expected to cost 2.5 million euros. The bridge will include 29 sculptures, with 14 at each end and one in the centre. It will be 83 metres (272.3 feet) in length and 9.2 m (30.2 ft) in width, while the central part of the bridge will be 12 m (39.4 ft) wide.
Eye Bridge The other bridge being constructed as part of the project is the Eye Bridge. Situated between the
Stone Bridge and the under-construction Art Bridge, it began construction in 2011. The pedestrian bridge will include 28 sculptures and will cost around 1.5 million euros.
Existing bridge renovations Freedom Bridge The project also includes plans to renovate existing bridges in central Skopje, one of which is the Freedom Bridge, which connects Vojvoda Vasil Adžilarski Street in
Centar Municipality to Stiv Naumov Street in
Čair Municipality. First constructed in 1936, the renovation began in 2011 and is expected to be completed in May, 2014. The total cost will be roughly 1.15 million euros.
Goce Delčev Bridge The renovation of the Goce Delčev Bridge, which connects Ilinden Boulevard in Centar to Goce Delčev Boulevard in Čair across the Vardar, began on April 11, 2011 and finished later in the year. The renovation included new gold-coloured fencing and 26 lampposts. The project cost roughly 500,000 euros, including 60,000 euros for the new lighting. Four statues depicting lions, two at each end, were also placed on the bridge in 2010. The ones on the western side were cast in
Florence and cost 1.5 million euros.
Revolution Bridge The Revolution Bridge, first built in 1963 across the Vardar connecting
Kočo Racin Boulevard in Centar to Krste Misirkov Boulevard in Čair, was also renovated as part of the Skopje 2014 project. It began on December 9, 2010 and was completed in May, 2011. The renovation included basic repairs as well as the installation of 22 lampposts and iron-wrought fencing. The renovation cost 450,000 euros.
Cultural buildings Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra hall Notable in Skopje 2014 for its bold modern architecture as opposed to the usual neoclassical style seen in the project, the under-construction concert hall to house the Macedonian Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the first buildings to begin construction in the project, with the cornerstone having been laid in June 2009. The exterior of the building is nearing completion. The concert hall is planned to have excellent acoustics and will have a capacity of 900 seats.
Museum of Archaeology The Museum of Archaeology began construction in 2009 and opened in September, 2014. Although the building primarily serves as a museum, it also houses the Constitutional Court and the National Archive of the Republic of North Macedonia. It is situated on the eastern bank of the
Vardar, across the river from
Macedonia Square. The exterior of the museum is among the more monumental buildings of the project, with its
Greek Revival architecture.
VMRO-DPMNE, the ruling party, states the budget for the construction as 436,000,000
denars.
Museum of the Macedonian Struggle The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle for Statehood and Independence − Museum of VMRO and Museum of the Victims of the Communist Regime exhibits the strive for an independent Macedonian nation from the
Ottoman Empire and later
Yugoslavia. It is divided into 16 departments and includes over 100 wax figures of historical individuals. The museum lies on the eastern bank of the Vardar River just northwest of the Museum of Archaeology, opposite Macedonia Square. Construction began in June 2008 and it formally opened on September 10, 2011. The total cost of the museum, which covers 2,500 m2 (26,909.8 ft2), was roughly 10 million euros.
National Theatre The former National Theatre destroyed in the
1963 Skopje earthquake will be completely reconstructed, as part of the Skopje 2014 project. Construction of the building, however, began in December 2007, three years before the official announcing of Skopje 2014. Construction was originally planned to be completed in 2009, though it ended up being completed a few years after. The theatre stands on its original location on the eastern bank of the Vardar. The cost is estimated to be at least 6 million euros and may be as high as 30 million euros.
Façade reconstructions The Skopje 2014 project also includes plans to transform the façades of existing buildings in central Skopje into the neoclassical style. This includes the following buildings: • Buildings along Dimitrija Čupovski Street • Buildings along Macedonia Street • City Trade Center • Department of Transport and Communications Building, located on Karpoš's Rebellion Square. •
Government of the Republic of North Macedonia building. The new façade appearance choice for this building was made by the Macedonian public through online votes on the government's website. There were five choices and the neoclassical choice won a plurality. • MEPSO Building, located north of Macedonia Square. • Ministry of Justice building •
Parliament building. The renovation of the Parliament also includes the construction of cupolas atop the building.
Government buildings The following are new buildings being constructed to house various governmental functions.
Agency for Electronic Communications The cornerstone for the new building to house the Agency for Electronic Communications was laid on 30 March 2011. It is being constructed on the eastern bank of the Vardar in between two other Skopje 2014 buildings, the Museum of Archaeology and the Financial Police Building. The total cost of the building's construction is around 8.5 million euros, which the government claims will be fully funded by the Agency's budget. It is expected to be completed in 15 months or by the late summer of 2012.
Criminal Court Building A new Criminal Court Building is being constructed as part of the project. The cornerstone for the building was laid on 25 May 2010. The building, 10 stories tall, has been topped out. In it will be 74 judicial offices, 22 high courts, and 2 large courtrooms. The 2-story basement will contain parking. The building, reported to cost 8.3 million euros, was planned to be completed after 18 months of construction.
Financial Police Building On 11 October 2010 the cornerstone for the new building to house the Financial Police of the Republic of Macedonia was laid. The site is located between the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the new Agency for Electronic Communications. The building, currently several months from completion, is cylindrical in shape and is capped by a dome-shaped roof. The total cost of construction will be roughly 13 million euros.
Ministry of Finance The government, in March 2011, invested 8.9 million euros into transforming an abandoned uncompleted building in central Skopje into a new home for the Ministry of Finance. Like the other governmental buildings in Skopje 2014, it will have a neoclassical appearance. Though it was scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2012, the building remains far from completion.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Construction of the new Ministry of Foreign Affairs building began in January 2010. It is located on the eastern bank of the Vardar between the Financial Police Building and Stiv Naumov Street. It will have two basement levels, seven above-ground levels, and a terrace atop the building. The building, which is nearly complete on the exterior, stands at a height of 27 m (88.6 ft) and will have costed 13.5 million euros when completed.
New City Hall A new city hall for Skopje is being constructed below the
Kale Fortress, on the eastern bank of the Vardar. It is being constructed, as most other buildings in the project, in the neoclassical style and will cost roughly 15 million euros. It will be 21 m (68.9 ft) tall, with six above-ground floors.
Old City Hall Although a new city hall for Skopje is being constructed, the former one destroyed in the
1963 Skopje earthquake will be fully reconstructed, as part of the Skopje 2014 project. It will be built on its original location at the north side of Macedonia Square, to the west of the Vardar Quay. A Greek investor will be building the Old City Hall, as well as a Marriott Hotel to the immediate left of the building, after purchasing the land in March 2011.
Water Management Building Among the buildings being constructed below the
Kale Fortress on the eastern bank of the Vardar is the Water Management Building. Construction of the building began in December 2011. It is expected to be completed in 3 years at a cost of 10 million euros.
Monuments Justinian I The monument of
Justinian I, born in
Tauresium just outside modern Skopje, arrived at Macedonia Square on June 16, 2011. Similar to the monument of Tsar Samuil, also on Macedonia Square, it consists of Justinian I sitting on a throne, which is placed on a pedestal. The monument is made of white marble with the exception of the bronze reliefs on the pedestal, also characteristics it shares with the Tsar Samuil monument. The pedestal is 3.5 m (11.5 ft) tall, while Justinian upon his throne measures a further 5 m (16.4 ft) in height. The monument sits just north of the Stone Bridge, at the western bank of the Vardar River. It was made in Florence and cost over 1 million euros. Sculpted by hand in the
Pietro Bazzanti e Figlio Art Gallery in
Florence.
Mother Teresa The construction of a monument consisting of a statue of Skopje native
Mother Teresa and a fountain is planned. The monument will be located near the MEPSO building, which is north of Macedonia Square near the Vardar Quay, though location on the roundabout near the Goce Delčev Bridge is also a possibility. It is planned to stand around 30 m (98.4 ft) in height, even taller than the
Warrior on Horseback monument. It has been reported that a donation from India will fund the construction of the new Mother Teresa monument, who is already memorialized in the city with the
Memorial House of Mother Teresa and a plaque marking the spot of her birth.
Pavilion at Macedonia Square The Pavilion at Macedonia Square is situated on the north side of Macedonia Square. Construction began in early 2011 and was completed later that year at a cost of 350,000 euros. The pavilion consists of a dome supported by several columns, covering a statue of a romantic couple.
Porta Macedonia One of the main symbols of the project is Porta Macedonia, a
triumphal arch situated on 11 October Street, near Macedonia Square. The arch is meant to commemorate the long struggle for Macedonian independence. It is 21 m (68.9 ft) tall and contains 32 reliefs carved on the outside, depicting events from pre-history to the independence of the Republic of Macedonia. The inside of the arch consists of two levels, in which a souvenir shop and a gallery are located, and a rooftop observation deck. It formally opened to the public on Christmas Eve, January 6, 2012. The construction of Porta Macedonia is estimated at 4.5 million euros.
Tsar Samuil The monument to
Samuel of Bulgaria is among the new focal points of Macedonia Square. Officially unveiled on 28 June 2011, it is situated in front of the Pelister building, to the right of where Macedonia Street meets Macedonia Square. The monument, mostly in white marble, consists of a depiction of Tsar Samuil sitting on a throne, totaling 5 m (16.4 ft) in height, and is placed on a pedestal which itself is a further 3.5 m (11.5 ft) tall. The reliefs on the sides of the pedestal are bronze. Tsar Samuil, in the monument, holds a scepter. Made in
Florence, sculpted by hand in the
Pietro Bazzanti e Figlio Art Gallery, the total cost of the Tsar Samuil monument was roughly 3.5 million euros.
Samuil's empire was centred within the territories of today's North Macedonia with
Skopje and later
Ohrid being the empire's capital. The
fringe theory Samuil being the first Tsar of the Macedonian Slavs is held mainly in North Macedonia. This view is ahistorical, as it projects modern ethnic distinctions into the past.
Warrior monument On the opposite side of the Stone Bridge from Macedonia Square is Karpoš's Rebellion Square, which serves as a main entrance to the
Old Bazaar. It is undergoing a major reconstruction, as part of Skopje 2014, and its new centerpiece will be the statue and fountain officially named "Warrior," though it is widely believed that the statue is a depiction of
Philip II of Macedon, not to be confused with the equestrian statue of Philip II in Skopje's Avtokomanda neighborhood. The statue was placed onto the square on 22 May 2012. Made in Vicenza, the statue is 15 m (49.2 ft) tall and is placed on a 13 m (42.7 ft) tall pedestal. The entire monument will cost roughly 2 million euros.
Warrior on Horseback monument Perhaps the main symbol of the Skopje 2014 project is the
Warrior on Horseback () statue and fountain in the centre of Macedonia Square. It was typically thought to depict
Alexander the Great, though it was not officially named for him. A plaque was later added to the statue which confirmed that the statue was dedicated to Alexander the Great. The statue was sculpted by
Valentina Stevanovska and cast in bronze with lost wax casting technique in the
Ferdinando Marinelli Artistic Foundry of
Florence. "Alexander" was officially completed on September 8, 2011 to commemorate 20 years of the independence of the Republic of Macedonia. It is 14.5 m (47.6 ft) tall and it sits on a cylindrical column, which itself is 10 m (32.8 ft) in height. The column consists of three large ivory sections, each separated by a thinner bronze ring. Each section contains reliefs. The column stands in a fountain. At the base of the column are 8 bronze soldiers, each 3 m (9.8 ft) tall. There are also 8 bronze lions, each 2.5 m (8.3 ft) tall, around the edges of the fountain pool, four of which act as part of the fountain, releasing water from their mouths. The fountain also plays music. The total cost of the
Warrior on Horseback monument is roughly 7.5 million euros.
Other monuments Aside from the major monuments in the Skopje 2014 above, many other ones have been erected, or are planned to be erected in the city. These include the following:
Miscellaneous Docked boats in Vardar River The first of four building-boats as restaurants and cafes just in the Vardar River opened in July 2014. The boats are erected into the riverbed and, thus, will remain in their planned spots permanently. The boats, all to be situated in central Skopje, were intended to be in the Baroque style.
Ferris wheel The erection of a Ferris wheel is foreseen on the Vardar River. It will require the construction of a new pedestrian bridge, to run from the
Museum of the Macedonian Struggle to the MEPSO Building, upon which it will stand. No final plan for the project has been approved. In 2020, following the cancellation of construction on the Ferris wheel, the completed bridge was opened to pedestrians.
Fountains in Vardar River The addition of fountains on the Vardar River was planned early on in the project. They were completed in 2010. The fountains have been criticized for reportedly releasing mud, as well as for acting as a filter for trash flowing down the river.
Kale Fortress reconstruction Director of Cultural Heritage and archaeologist
Pasko Kuzman has announced a plan to restore and reconstruct the
Kale Fortress. The plan also includes the construction of a museum to house Byzantine archaeological finds from the fortress, as well as reconstructions of a prehistoric house and an Ottoman guard tower to be built on the place of their ruins. Souvenir shops and cafes are also foreseen additions. The most controversial part of the restoration of the fortress is the construction of a church, which has been protested by ethnic Albanians.
Karpoš's Rebellion Square reconstruction Karpoš's Rebellion Square is situated opposite the Vardar River of Macedonia Square and is undergoing a significant reconstruction. Plans include the erection of a statue and fountain depicting Philip II of Macedon, though officially named "Warrior," at the far northeast side of the square. Another monument consisting of a fountain and statues representing the Mothers of Macedonia is being constructed in front of the Warrior monument. In front of this will be two monuments, also consisting of a fountain and statues, depicting horses. The two will be situated on either side of the entrance to the square from the Stone Bridge.
Office building on Macedonia Square A new office building was constructed on the south side of Macedonia Square, on the Vardar Quay. It stands on the same place as the former headquarters of the National Bank, which was destroyed in the
1963 Skopje earthquake. The new office building is similar in shape to the former bank building, though it is not in the neoclassical style, which also makes it somewhat unusual in the Skopje 2014 project.
Skanderbeg Square An existing statue of
Skanderbeg, an important historical figure to ethnic Albanians, is the main fixture of a square that bears his name in Skopje's
Čair Municipality. The square's total cost is estimated at around 10 million euros and was completed in 2018. The square covers 28,000 m2 (301,389 ft2) and extends from the Macedonian Philharmonic and Macedonian Opera to the
Old Bazaar. To accommodate construction a portion of the square was built on top of Goce Delčev Boulevard. Aside from plenty open space, the square contains an amphitheatre, a fountain, and underground parking.
Other Other components of Skopje 2014 include the following: • 202
double-decker city buses, like London, in city's routes. • Three willow trees planted in the Vardar River in central Skopje. • The restoration of buildings in the historic
Old Bazaar. • Hotels, including a
Marriott Hotel constructed in May 2016 on Macedonia Square. • Parking garages. ==See also==