Belgrade housing modernisation in the first half of 20th century: Transformation of spatial concept, construction and materialization of multy-story residential buildings

Abstract

Multi-storey business-residential and residential buildings have been increasingly present in Belgrade since 1900 and testify to its accelerated modernisation. In the period before the WWI, the basic types of multi-family residential buildings were developed and characteristic forms of building assemblies and spatial organisation of apartments were formed. As builders were educated in Central European centres (Pest, Vienna, Munich, Aachen, Berlin and Zurich), the types of assemblies and apartments were created according to their influence. After the war, in addition to the old generation of architects, the younger generation, educated at the Architectural Department of the Technical Faculty in Belgrade, is also active, which contributes to a greater variety of solutions and the influence of other European centres (Prague and Paris). Through the analysis, examples from the period 1900-14 and 1918-41 are considered and compared to define the basic types of building shapes, assemblies and spatial organization of apartments. The research confirms the thesis on the continuity of development and application of the same basic types of buildings and spatial organisation of apartments in both periods. The thesis of continuous use of masonry construction for making walls in both periods was also confirmed, while the use of modern material, reinforced concrete, and semi-prefabricated Herbst construction was established during the third and fourth decades of the 20th century.