Consciousness and Amnesia: The Reconstruction of Skopje Considered through “Actor Network Theory”

After the decimation of the urban fabric resulting from the 1963 earthquake, Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, became a center of town planning and architectural activity. The aftermath response was unprecedented, with eighty-five countries offering aid and thirty-five nations raising Skopje to a priority status within the United Nations (UN). The acclaimed Japanese architect, Kenzo Tange, was awarded first prize in the subsequent UN competition for the reconstruction master plan and was asked to work with the second prize winners, Zagreb firm Miscevic and Wenzler. The design and rebuilding produced one of the greatest collaborative and visionary realizations of a complete city concept undertaken in history. Yet, the significance of Skopje’s reconstruction has slipped from architectural consciousness. “Actor network theory” (ANT) offers insights into the social dynamics of large-scale projects and provides a lens by which to investigate five features of the reconstruction of Skopje: (1) the social process, including problematization, interessement, enrollment, and mobilization; (2) the key participants; (3) the project scale; (4) artifacts; and (5) project duration. ANT proves to be a useful tool for understanding both the heroic achievement and the subsequent neglect of Skopje reconstructed