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Tomos Skyscraper, Monument of Time — Cinema, Housing, and Identity in Koper’s Historic Core

Rebeka Bratož Gornik

Documentary Film
Koper
2021

Tomos Skyscraper, Monument of Time — Cinema, Housing, and Identity in Koper’s Historic Core

Tomos Skyscraper, Monument of Time — Cinema, Housing, and Identity in Koper’s Historic Core

Tomos Skyscraper: Monument of Time is an ethnographic documentary film that delves into the evolving social and spatial transformations of Koper, a historic Slovenian coastal city, through the lens of the iconic Tomos Skyscraper. Built in 1957 during the modernist period, this skyscraper was originally designed by architect Edo Mihevec as a progressive symbol of socialist urban planning and a new working-class housing typology. Situated in the historic city center, it has long been a site of controversy and a tangible witness to the tensions between architectural innovation, heritage conservation, and shifting political-economic systems.

The film traces the skyscraper’s complex trajectory from its construction through the post-World War II socialist era, marked by rapid industrialization and housing for factory workers, to its privatization and renovation in 2019. During this period, Koper underwent profound socio-political and spatial changes — from a modernist city planned around individual needs and socialist ideals to a neoliberal urban environment shaped increasingly by investor-driven development and capital interests. This transformation challenged the relationship between local communities, the built environment, and participatory governance.

Central to the documentary is the exploration of how the skyscraper embodies competing narratives of urban identity, public memory, and social belonging. Initially viewed as a “foreign body” disrupting the medieval cityscape — especially since its construction involved demolishing the Glagolitic Monastery — the building has polarized public opinion. Over time, media coverage, especially in the 2010s, framed the skyscraper negatively, reinforcing its symbolic status as a contested monument that reveals broader societal conflicts between heritage preservation, professional planning, and political decision-making.

The film’s unique approach incorporates in-depth interviews with former residents of the Tomos Skyscraper, urban planners, cultural actors, and municipal officials, creating a multifaceted dialogue about living conditions, perceptions of urban space, and the role of participatory processes in contemporary urban development. Through personal memories and lived experiences, the film highlights how changes in housing policies and urban planning reflect wider shifts in social relations and the marginalization of local voices amid the rise of neoliberal urbanism.

Moreover, Tomos Skyscraper: Monument of Time documents a landmark example of community engagement in the city’s redevelopment: the collaboration between the private investor and independent cultural collectives, such as the six-month temporary activation of the skyscraper’s ground floor by the collective Avtomatik Delovišče. This initiative exemplifies new forms of participatory urbanism where civil society and cultural stakeholders influence the use and meaning of public spaces, countering the alienation often caused by investor-led projects.

By weaving together archival footage, contemporary visual ethnography, and rigorous discourse analysis, the film not only reconstructs the architectural and urban history of the Tomos Skyscraper but also serves as a critical reflection on the evolving relationship between the city’s built environment and its inhabitants. It challenges romanticized views of planners and architects by foregrounding the complexity and conflict inherent in spatial governance and community participation.

Ultimately, the film offers valuable insights for architects, urbanists, sociologists, and local policymakers seeking to understand the multilayered processes that shape urban transformation in border cities like Koper. It underscores the importance of integrating historical consciousness, inclusive dialogue, and innovative participatory methods to foster more equitable and culturally sensitive urban development.