The ESM Building Is an Institutional Disgrace in the Centre of Skopje

In the centre of Skopje, at the entrance to Macedonia Square, the headquarters of the state power company ESM (Elektrani na Severna Makedonija) has stood for almost a decade without a façade and with damage to its exterior. For just as long, the employees of this state company have been working in inadequate conditions in this building, which is over sixty years old, because, according to builders, buildings without a façade are considered structurally unfinished and do not provide proper energy efficiency and insulation.

For a long time the building was covered in scaffolding and fenced off, but these were later removed. Builders are clear that this is unacceptable, because unfinished buildings like this must, according to construction standards, be fenced off to prevent passers-by and citizens from entering the area around the building, above all for their own safety.

Professor Josif Josifovski, a member of the Department of Geotechnics at the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Skopje, explains to Samo Prasaj that in this case there is visible external damage to the building, which is “stripped bare”, without a façade, and damaged parts could fall under the effects of the weather. He adds that according to construction standards, the building should be fenced off. Prof. Josifovski stresses that other unfinished buildings in the city centre – such as the nearby “Pelagonija” building, which was also part of this project and was left without a façade – must likewise be properly protected and fenced, as must the other unfinished buildings around the square.

“These are buildings whose safety is questionable, especially since no work has been done on them for a long time and they have been left to decay, which in itself, under the effects of the weather, makes them increasingly unsafe. What the profession points out is that there are certain standards that must be met in terms of safety. First of all, I would mention the need to protect the area around the buildings themselves, which means appropriate protective fences that would restrict citizens’ access to or near those buildings, so that no harm comes to citizens and there are no possible casualties,” says Prof. Josifovski.

The renovation of the façade of the building, which also used to house the Austrian company EVN, began about ten years ago as part of the then government’s “Skopje 2014” project, which cost more than 700 million euros. For the façade of this building – made of glass and polystyrene – 3.6 million euros were planned.

In February 2016, during construction work, a fire broke out that also affected the building’s interior. By that stage of building the new façade of the ESM building, around 400,000 euros had been spent, according to media reports.

After the fire, both EVN and ESM gave up on completing the project and announced that they would look for a new design for the building’s façade. Nothing came of those announcements; in the meantime the Austrian EVN moved out of the building, leaving only the state company ESM.

A building without a face, institutions without a plan

ESM’s employees stayed in this building for years, even though, under the “Skopje 2014” project, the state company also began building a new headquarters opposite the Museum of the City of Skopje. ESM’s new building remained unoccupied until January this year because, although it was completed back in May 2017, the Ministry of Transport and Communications refused to issue an occupancy permit.

According to media reports so far, the Ministry of Transport and Communications refused to issue the occupancy permit because changes were made to the design during construction and the relevant opinions and approvals were missing.

But the current VMRO-DPMNE-led Government decided that the newly formed Ministry of Energy would move into the new building built by ESM. With the government decision to house the new ministry there, the state company ESM remained in the old headquarters on Macedonia Square, with working conditions as one might imagine – inhumane, according to experts.

“These are inhumane working conditions, given that, looking at the building every day, the façade in certain parts is completely open and does not meet the basic conditions and standards such buildings should meet. We’re talking about the working conditions of ESM employees. I don’t know exactly how many work there or in which part of the building – I must be careful there. But as I said, without those façade elements, which also provide energy and thermal protection, exposure to the weather is inappropriate. In construction terms, we would consider such buildings unfinished or unbuilt. It is problematic for anyone to carry out work tasks in such a building for a longer period,” says Professor Josifovski of the Faculty of Civil Engineering.

ESM admits that the building, located in the very centre of Skopje, right on the square, has had its façade removed, that this is not a pleasant sight for the surroundings, and that it is not suitable as a workplace either, because the building has been left without insulation. But the company did not want to comment on why its employees have not been moved to the new building for so many years.

“ESM’s management currently operates without representative premises. Given the circumstances, ESM’s management staff have for years been working in difficult conditions,” ESM replied.

The building’s long-standing appearance is a symbol of institutional neglect

Asked whether completing the façade and repairing the building is planned, the company replied that, depending on its financial capacity, it is considering a full reconstruction of the building this year – both exterior and interior.

“Besides a contractor, a competition will also seek a design for a modern, energy-efficient façade,” ESM adds.

But as to why the building has remained without a façade until now and how much was spent on the previous façade project, ESM gave no concrete answer, instead describing all the previous attempts to deal with this eyesore in the centre of Skopje.

“Replacing the façade of ESM’s current headquarters was a joint project of ELEM and EVN, which was supposed to be completed in September 2014. The delay occurred because the client asked the contractor to use fire-resistant materials for the façade, which was refused. After the contract was terminated, no action was taken over the past seven years to overcome the challenges. According to our information, the façade contract was worth around 4 million euros, EVN Skopje was the lead party, and the two companies agreed to pay half each,” ESM told us.

EVN Macedonia, the building’s previous tenant – a long-standing Skopje landmark – was asked why the façade was not completed after the fire, even though both companies had announced they would seek a new design. It says the building is no longer its property and that it is not responsible for producing new designs.

“The contract for the reconstruction and extension of the façade was terminated because the contractor failed to comply with the contract’s provisions. The building is no longer owned by EVN Macedonia Skopje, and therefore the company is not responsible for producing new designs,” EVN Macedonia said, giving its side of the story.

Nor did the Government, which we also approached, say definitively whether and when a new façade would be built and the damage to the ESM building repaired. It told us it is exploring options for financing a new, modern façade.

“Options are being actively explored for financing a new, modern and energy-efficient façade for the existing building, which will include an integrated photovoltaic system. This investment is crucial for reducing energy consumption, increasing energy efficiency and contributing to sustainable development,” the Government’s reply states.

It did not answer the question of when the occupancy permit was issued for ESM’s new building, which was allocated to the Ministry of Energy by government decision, or whether the state company is to receive any financial compensation for this building, in which considerable funds were invested, so that it can repair the old one.

The Ministry of Energy also did not answer whether the agreement with ESM on handing over the building provides for any financial compensation for the state company. It referred us to the Government, explaining that this is not within its competence.

“The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources uses the building on the basis of a Government decision allocating the building to the Ministry for use. On the basis of this decision, an agreement was also concluded with ESM, with all legal and financial aspects determined at the institutional level. Questions related to financial arrangements and possible compensation are within the competence of ESM and the Government. The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources does not take part in those decisions,” the Ministry of Energy told us.

The structural quality of buildings left unfinished for long can decline

According to construction experts, buildings whose construction has begun and which are then left unfinished for a long time can suffer weakened materials and a decline in the quality of the structure itself.

“With any building that is not worked on continuously for a long time, there is a danger that, under the effects of the weather, the quality of the building materials will in some way age, weaken and decline, and that the whole structure will become problematic. We’re talking about longer periods of time, and these buildings have indeed been exposed for quite a while,” says Prof. Josifovski, adding that remedial measures should be planned for them.

He adds that for such buildings it is recommended to carry out a special inspection to assess the quality of the materials, detect weaknesses and inconsistencies, and propose measures for their repair or replacement. Such an opinion was requested from the Faculty of Civil Engineering after the fire at the ESM building on Macedonia Square.

“As far as I know, such work has currently been agreed specifically for the buildings on the campus of the UKIM rectorate – the two new faculty buildings – and the Faculty of Civil Engineering has been asked to take part in that assessment with its experts. Such an assessment should be carried out for all the other buildings as well,” says Prof. Josifovski.

On Macedonia Square and in the very centre of Skopje, the ESM building is not the only one that has stood unfinished for years. There are at least ten unfinished buildings, and according to construction standards, all of them must be properly fenced off and protected.

“It’s not just one building, not just the ESM building. Many such buildings are unfinished and left to decay with the passage of time. There’s the ‘Pelagonija’ building, left unfinished, the former Officers’ Club building, and the hotel next to it. There are also the buildings on the campus of Ss. Cyril and Methodius University – we know about the FINKI faculty building and the Faculty of Physical Education building, which have also been standing for a long time with no work being done on them. The Universal Hall too. So there are several buildings that have been abandoned, and I think it is high time to find solutions for them, because they also pose a danger to the surroundings, to passers-by and citizens,” says Prof. Josifovski.

He adds that the rule is for construction sites to be fenced off from the moment the site is cleared until the building passes technical inspection and is put into use. This means not just a simple fence; in certain situations there must be more serious protection at the top, such as some kind of canopy, so that citizens are not endangered by minor or major defects or deformations of the building.

This content was produced by the Institute of Communication Studies.

Journalist: Elica Bochvaroska

Camera: Nake Batev

Editing: Risto Dushkovski

Photos: Darko Andonovski

This article was translated from Macedonian using artificial intelligence (AI). The original Macedonian version is available here.