Dragiša Brašovan - Modern Architecture in Serbia

Dragiša Brašovan (1887-1965) is considered as the one who introduced Modern Architecture in the Balkans. He studied in Budapest and after working for 6 years in Budapest in 1920 he founded an architecture firm in Belgrade with Milan Sekulić (this lasted until 1225 after that he went on on its own). After 1945 he worked for state commissions.

Until 1929 he made projects in an eclectic style that was popular between the two World Wars. Around this time he made:
- Rabatt-Bank, ulica Nušićeva 4, Belgrade 1921-23
- Genčić-Villa, ulica Proleterskih brigada 55, Belgrade 1929
- Škarkin-Villa, ulica Deligradskoj 12, Belgrade 1927-29

After 1929 he started modern style architecture and joined the group " Arhitekata modernog pravca". However he was not a strictly functionalist architect (like most of the modern architects), in the modern language of his buildings there was always some place for decoration or expressionistic elements in his works.

The printing company earlier and today

One outstanding work of this time is the Zgrada Državne štamparije (today called BIGZ) projected and build between1934-1941, bulevar Vojvode Mišić 17 in Belgrade the former state printing company.

Some works that got im international recognition where the yugoslavian Pavillons for the World Trade Fairs and International Exhibitions. 1929 in Barcelona (for that he got the big Architectural prize) 1931 in Milano, 1932 in Thessaloniki, 1953 in Damascus and Izmir.

Two extraordinary edifices signed by this architect were the victims of NATO bombings in 1999.

Komanda Vazduhoplovstva (Yugoslavian Airforces Headquarter) in Zemun of 1939 (together with the sculpture of Icarus on the front - a masterpiece of Novi Sad's sculptor Karlo Baranji). The building was totally destroyed.(I wrote about it here)


Zgrada Dunavske banovine (today Izvršno veće Vojvodine, in english Building of Executive Council of Vojvodina Province (Banovina) of 1939 in Novi Sad that is listed in all world architectural cyclopedias, under the protection of UNESCO as an valuable art heritage, was bombed in the night of April 19, 1999. (I wrote about it here)


After 1945 he made a couple of bulidings in socio-realism style, where he combined modern style with ethnic and monumental elements.

The most famous is probably Hotel "Metropol" in Bulevar Kralja Aleksandra in Belgrade, a building from 1953.

The Hotel before renovation

The Hotel is currently undergoing extensive restauration and refurbishment, and is anticipated to be reopened in May 2009.

Visualisation of the project

Other Works:

Zgrada Srpske banke (Bank Building), renovation ca.1920 in Zrenjanin

(Photos from Alex_ZR on Skyscrapercity)

Crkva Vavedenja Bogorodice (Church), 1924-1927 in Orlovat

Sokolski dom, 1927 in Zrenjanin

(Photo from Alex_ZR on Skyscrapercity)

Radnička komora (Work Chamber), 1931 in Novi Sad
Zgrada Muzeja Nikole Tesle (Nikola Tesla Museum Building) 1932, in Belgrade

Residence in Ulica Francuska 5 in Belgrade, build in the 30's
Residence in Bulevar Oslobođenja 2, in Belgrade, build in the 30's
Residence in Bulevar Despota Stefana 8 in Belgrade, build in the 30's

One of the 30's building in Belgrade
by Dragisa Brasovan
(Photo Rascian at Skyscarapercity)

Residence Blocks for Fabrike Kablova Svetozarevo in Jagodina, build in the 50's Glavna pošta (Main Post Office) in Novi Sad, 1961

Brasovan died in 1965 in Belgrade. He was a pen pal member of Serbian Academy of Science and Arts and a member of British Royal Institute of Architecture. He left a print as one of the most famous Serbian architects of the century, distinguished connoisseur of the age of baroque and introduced modern style architecture to the Balkans.

Terazije Plateau in Begrade

View from Terazije over to Novi Beograd

Terazije is often perceived as the center of Belgrade, with some attractive building (the Palata Albania and Hotel Moskva) and the old fountain (Terazijska cesma) in the front of the Moskva Hotel. From there is an excellent natural lookout point to the Sava river valley, Novi Beograd and further into the Syrmia region.




But what lays between it, at the moment is not very attractive: a ungroomed terraced wast area located between the upper plateau (balkanska street) and the lower plateau (kraljice natalije).

With some effort it could be an attractive trail to the Zeleni Venac pijaca (Market).

The configuaration of the terrace is a subject of public and academic debate ever since the 19th century. A first general plan for it is from 1912 by French architect Alban Chamond which envisioned it as cascades of trapezoid "piazzetas" with flowers and fountains, leaving the panoramic view intact.

The Nikola Dobrovic proposal of 1929

In 1929, Serbian architect Nikola Dobrović (who after World War II became Director of the Institute for Urbanism and, in 1948, a professor at the Architectural Faculty at the University of Belgrade) suggested two tall business buildings on the both ends of the ridge and a plateau between with several small business and leisure objects, while the slope itself would be a succession of horizontal gardens, pools and fountains.
His plans were a little ahead of the time....immagine how it would look now?






In 2006 Belgrade Land Development Public Agency invited for proposals in a architectural and urbanistic competition.

The Studio ARCVS entry

The shared first price went to "Studio ARCVS" (Partners Dragan Ivanovic, Zoran Djorovic and Branislav Redzic) and to "react" (competition: Dejan Milanovic, Grozdana Sisovic
, creative team:
Ivica Nikolic, Srdjan Tadic, design project:
Dejan Milanovic, Grozdana Sisovic,
colaborator:
Tanja Bajic)
After a new re-evaluation the "re:act" project was proclaimed winner of the competition in march of 2007.

The re:act entry

The re:act project took some of the concept of Dobrovic's proposal, framing the terrassed square with buildings (however low ones) and leaving an empty space in the center. Dobrovic further placed two tower-buildings left and right from the look out point, what the re:act-team replaced with two light pillars that illuminate the terrace.

The ARCVS approach was with a geomatrical arrangement of a low building and wide stairs following the straight building on the bakanska street side and with a loose set-up of trees and trails following the curvated side on prizrenska street but also without cloudying the view from the top.