Institut za arhitekturu i urbanizam Srbije
Branislav Brana Derić (1940–2006): an imperishable past
Copyright (c) 2026 Arhitektura i urbanizam
From conquering freedom to leaving a personal mark – Women architects in the collections of the Museum of Science and Technology / Snežana Toševa
The book From Conquering Freedom to Personal Impression – Women Architects in the Collections of the Museum of Science and Technology is a contribution to the study of the history of the architectural profession in Serbia and raises the question of the place and visibility of women in the history of architecture. The author, Snežana Toševa, an art historian and curator at the Museum of Science and Technology in Belgrade, approached the topic primarily through the museum's collections. The phrase 'conquering freedom' refers to the process of the gradual inclusion of women in higher education and the architectural profession, while 'personal impression' denotes the phase of their professional affirmation and the formation of their authorial statement. The two-part structure of the publication summarizes a broader historical process – from emancipation to the construction of the professional identity of women in the Serbian architectural space.
Sustainable development - The fate of architecture / Borislav Stojkov
Spatial-functional organization of waste management on the railway network in Serbia / candidate: Nikola Ristić
Typological analysis and revitalization models of the traditional architecture of Gora for the purpose of achieving socioeconomic sustainability / candidate: Vesnera Šerefi
This Master’s thesis explores the traditional architecture of Gora as an endangered heritage and a resource for contemporary development. Through a typological analysis of residential structures, the traditional Goran house is redefined as an adaptable system with the potential for revitalization. The research combines fieldwork with an analytical-design approach, focusing on the socio-economic sustainability of the community. The practical part of the study presents restoration models for five traditional buildings in the village of Kruševo, interconnected through the "Kruševo Loop" network. The proposed concept affirms minimal interventions and a local economy, proving that architectural heritage can serve as an active bearer of identity and rural regeneration.
Architecture as an Interdisciplinary Field: Towards New Models of Architectural Practice
Drawing on Ranko Radović’s position of the inseparability of architectural thought and its materialisation, this text approaches architectural practice as a complex, process-related, and interdisciplinary field. Through Unraveling: New Spaces, exhibited at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, and in relation to the curatorial framework of Carlo Ratti, architecture is understood an open system of relations rather than a finitive construction. The metaphor of the labyrinth and Ariadne’s thread is established as the epistemological and operational model for the contemporaneity of architectural practice, in which the designing focus shifts from the finality of the solution toward the navigation within complexity. The Unraveling: New Spaces project integrates architecture, design, the materiality of wool, and engineering approaches, generating a kinetic and adaptive form responsive to the energy and climate conditions of an ever-changing world, particularly emphasising the need to shift from mitigation toward adaptation. In this sense, architectural practice becomes a field for shaping evolving relationships between the material, social, and ecological conditions. Through collective and interdisciplinary action, Unraveling: New Spaces proposes new approaches to architectural thought and practice within the context of today’s global challenges, affirming the openness, interdisciplinarity, and the relational character of architectural practice as embedded in the temporality of the present.
A multi-criteria model for evaluating the potential conversion of commercial buildings into hotel facilities / candidate: Damjana Nedeljković
Model for assessing the spatial-functional quality of an apartment
This paper addresses the development of a model for assessing the spatial-functional quality of an apartment, with the aim of establishing an operationally applicable and comparable framework for the evaluation of housing solutions. The methodological approach is based on the interpretation and simplification of existing theoretical models, translating them into a structured assessment system organised into four segments: spatial conditions for the performance of functions, functional compatibility, dimensional and regulatory adequacy, and the flexibility and lifespan of the apartment. Each segment is elaborated through a set of clearly defined criteria that enable a systematic consideration of different aspects of spatial organisation and their interrelationships, including potential conflicts in the use of space. The assessment is conducted using a three-level scale and the aggregation of results into a single quality indicator, ensuring quantification and comparability across different housing solutions. The model is grounded in the assumption that housing quality can be understood through the conditions for the performance of activities and their spatial relationships, with emphasis placed on organisational rather than exclusively regulatory aspects. Application of the model to a specific case indicates its capacity to differentiate levels of spatial-functional quality and to identify spatial limitations through quantified indicators, with the results serving an illustrative purpose as a demonstration of the model’s application. The proposed approach enables a transparent and systematised assessment while maintaining operational simplicity and a clearly defined evaluation structure. In conclusion, the developed model represents a methodologically grounded framework that connects theoretical principles of residential spatial organisation with a concrete evaluation procedure, with potential for further development and application in both design and evaluative practice.
The serial vision method in vernacular architecture research of the cultural heritage of Sveti Stefan
Formerly a medieval fortification and a fishing village, the island of Sveti Stefan in Montenegro has functioned as a luxury “town hotel” for the past seventy years. Although declared a cultural heritage of national importance in 1960, its long-term lease to a foreign tenant, modifications to the vernacular environment, insufficient institutional involvement, and recent management practices indicate improper treatment. This study offers a view of Sveti Stefan in which its cultural and historical values, integrated into a complex vernacular ambiance, outweigh its economic importance. Using the Serial Vision Method, the author documents the spatial condition of a chosen path through a sequence of images, emphasizing the vernacular character of the cultural habitat. The method is integrative (providing a historical overview that complements the freehand drawings), practical (highlighting the problems that threaten the island’s authenticity), educational (showing potential as a learning tool for architectural students), and economical (requiring only basic equipment and modest financial resources). Observation of the delineated path 1–1 revealed the most significant modifications of the vernacular environment in terms of excessive greening, insufficient maintenance, and general commercialization. The Serial Vision of Sveti Stefan serves as a reference for improving the current state of the cultural heritage, offering a temporary alternative to the island’s restricted access.
A study of transitional space in Branislav Milenkovic’s architectural analysis
The subject of the paper is the transitional space in Branislav Milenkovic’s architectural analysis. The research starts from the assumption that Milenkovic’s approach to architectural analysis is characterized by a particular accuracy, and that the potential for its actualization is contained in the domain of design-driven research. The motive for this study stems from problems regarding the contemporary professional context in which architectural undertakings are simplified under the pressures of the global market economy and financial efficiency. In such circumstances, the creative, critical, and socially responsible engagement of an architect are challenged and reduced to the production of solutions, in the form of stable and clear responses to the spatial demands of the building industry. Therefore, this study emphasizes the particular importance of Milenkovic’s professional position, because it advocates a shift in focus from the precise formulation of architectural solutions to the problematization of dynamic relationships between space and its users; the transitional space is taken as a testing ground for examining the possibilities of thoughtful and critical action. The paper is a trans-disciplinary theoretical study that aims to critically examine the concept of transitional space as fundamental to the design process and architectural analysis. The analysis of the dynamics of the relationship between space and the user is articulated around contemporary theories of gesture; it includes significant authors and reference sources from the domains of architecture, philosophy and anthropology (Goetz, Benjamin, Ingold, Augé, Lefebvre, Evans). The aim of the study is to explore Milenkovic’s concept of transitional space as a principle of the dynamic relationship between the user’s gesture and the spatial gesture and thus, to offer a detailed understanding of Milenkovic’s transitional space through its complex analysis in relation to the theory of gesture. The ultimate goal of the paper is to examine, within the domain of theory, whether the concept of transitional space opens up the possibility for critical action in contemporary design research.
The condition, planning and design of Trifković Square in Novi Sad for the purpose of developing tourism
Trifkovic Square is part of the city of Novi Sad and its old city area. As such, the Square has a long history and a very characteristic way of its formation and cultural and historical values, which, among other locations, place it in the focus of tourism development in Novi Sad. The subject of the research is the clearly spatially limited entity of Trifkovic Square in Novi Sad. The aim of the paper is to present one of the possible ways of arranging the given space for the needs and in the function of tourism development, which has been constantly growing in Novi Sad for the last 15 years. The tasks of the paper are to present the historical context of the creation and development of Trifkovic Square in Novi Sad, to analyze its current state in terms of location, function, urban furniture, greenery, as well as planning documents that take into account this spatial unit in the central core of Novi Sad. The research was conducted on the basis of published studies and available documentation, which deal with similar issues. Based on the collected data, a systematic analysis of the space was carried out, its cartographic and photographic presentation was made, and proposals were made for its further development and functional organization. The aim of the paper is to point out the importance of this part of Novi Sad for the development of tourism and its possible inclusion in tourist flows, through existing and some future planning solutions.
The beginnings of prefabricated housing construction in Belgrade (1947–1951). Contribution made by the design bureau of the Executive Committee of the People’s Committee of Belgrade
This paper presents and discusses the first prefabricated and semi-prefabricated residential buildings designed by the Design Bureau of the Executive Committee of the People's Committee of Belgrade during the implementation of the First Five-Year Plan (1947–1951). One of the primary objectives of the plan was to construct mass housing, which would provide much-needed accommodation for the rapidly growing population of Belgrade, liberated from occupation. Although this period has been insufficiently studied and often criticized in previous research, it was during this time that the concepts of prefabricated housing and prefabrication in general were formulated. They further developed in the following decades and significantly influenced the modernization of domestic construction practice. The idea of ​​prefabricated housing was based on the difficult-to-achieve goals regarding the number of residential square meters that had to be built, set by the First Five-Year Plan. Therefore, the paper briefly discusses the circumstances of residential construction in the given period, as well as the development of the idea of ​​prefabricated housing. Further, it presents and analyzes prefabricated and semi-prefabricated buildings that were designed and built at several locations in Belgrade under the jurisdiction of the city authorities. This paper is based on the research of available archival materials, data from the daily press, previously published papers, and field work. Its goal is to shed light on an insufficiently studied period in the history of residential architecture in Belgrade, as well as to offer a new perspective on the architectural and construction aspirations of the first post-war years.
Residential Architecture of Belgrade, Techniques, Ideas, Achievements / Ljiljana Đukanović
Copyright (c) 2025 Arhitektura i urbanizam
Power and Urban Planning: Genesis and Critical Analysis of Theoretical Approaches
Urban planning has traditionally been dominated by rationalist and technocratic paradigms, within which the question of political power has often been treated as peripheral. With the rise of critical social theories in the second half of the twentieth century, planning increasingly came to be understood as a politically embedded process, where relations of power play a central role in shaping space and public policy. However, under the contemporary neoliberal paradigm, the planning arena once again tends to be “depoliticized.” This paper critically examines how the concept of power has been articulated and transformed across three key theoretical frameworks: the rationalist–technocratic model, the communicative approach (grounded in Habermas’s conception of the public sphere), and the Foucauldian discourse perspective. The analysis engages with influential authors and concepts, including Harvey, Lefebvre, Healey, Forester, and Flyvbjerg, and seeks to identify paradigmatic shifts and the implications that differing understandings of power have produced in planning theory and practice. The paper highlights the need for an analytical framework capable of bridging the gap between normative theorizing and the empirical configurations of power that shape contemporary urban governance.
The building is located in a part of the city that has been characterized by a process of intensive urbanization over the past decade, where a semi-urban environment with traditional family housing is evolving into a modern multi-family and combined residential and business environment. The building consists of three parts, which together form a unique functional and design entity with a recognizable architectural identity. The integration of new construction into the established structure of the suburban settlement was considered on several architectural levels. The architectural and urban design solution stems from the irregular shape of the plot and its position at the intersection. By adopting the concept of the so-called "interrupted row", the building is integrated into the existing urban matrix, with the different architectural morphology of the neighboring streets. This approach enabled the discontinuity of the frontage towards the street with single-family homes and the formation of a continuous frontage towards the street with multi-family and commercial buildings. The residential floor is designed as a corridor structure. All apartments are clearly zoned, with dining and living rooms united into a single space, and spacious open areas. The apartments on the top floor also have access to large private roof terraces with swimming pools, summer kitchens and green areas, thus functionally connecting to the surrounding amenities. The basic volume of the building is made up of a monolithic white mass with emphasized dark lines and randomly arranged balconies, which gives the entire composition a dose of dynamism. The dissected crown of the building reinterprets the rhythm of full and empty, taken from a row of family houses on the opposite side of the street. The building responds in an original way to some typical spatial, organizational and aesthetic challenges of contemporary housing construction and represents another of the author's striking multi-family housing buildings in the city.
University of Sarajevo - Faculty of Architecture 1949- 2024: 75 Years of Educating Architects in Bosnia and Herzegovina / Nermina Zagora (editor)
Self-Sustainable Vacation House on Kosmaj
The completed building is positioned near the very edge of the Kosmaj Region of Exceptional Features in the proximity of Belgrade, surrounded by a natural landscape characterized by forest areas, gentle slopes, and autochthonous vegetation, which highlights the need for a harmonious integration of the architectural design in order to minimize disruption of the environmental context. The site includes facilities intended for occasional stays, rest, and recreation for a family of five, with the main residential building being the subject of this paper. The traditional architecture of Šumadija served as inspiration for the contemporary interpretation of the timber-frame (bondruk) construction that was incorporated in the design of this two-story vacation house. The paper is an analytical presentation of the building, providing detailed explanations of the design motifs, conceptual starting points, and criteria that shaped the architectural form and programmatic structure. The primary focus is on examining the structural solutions applied, as well as the materialization, and integrated technological systems, with a consideration of how these elements contribute to functionality, aesthetic expression, and sustainability. The aim of the paper is to offer insight into the design and construction of the house, highlighting the interrelation between the conceptual and technical decisions that define the final character of the architecture. The fundamental premise of the design approach was shaped by the investor’s requirement for complete independence from the municipal supply systems, while maximizing sustainability, and maintaining a high level of comfort. In this sense, the building is self-sufficient primarily in terms of energy autonomy and the use of solar energy to meet its energy needs, as well as having its own water supply and wastewater management. However, reducing the concept to such an interpretation would significantly underestimate its scope. Therefore, the paper examines the notions of ecological and cultural sustainability, as well as their interpretations within architectural discourse, in order to establish a more precise interpretation.
Reconstruction of the chronology, authorial position, and design themes of architect Rastko Radulović in French design studios (1959–1964; 1972–1975)
Serbian-French relations have so far been the subject of research by both domestic and international authors. Narrower and more specific thematic areas – such as Serbian-French architectural connections – still lack a comprehensive and systematic overview within architectural history and theory. The significance of researching these relations lies in identifying both the direct and indirect French influences on the Serbian architectural and cultural context, as well as on the development of Serbian architecture and the aesthetic refinement of the authorial expression of Serbian architects. This paper focuses on two professional engagements of architect Rastko Radulović (1933–2005) in France – the first in Gоuyon’s design studio (1959–1964) and the second in Delb’s design studio (1972–1975). The aim of the research is to reconstruct Radulović’s professional engagement in France, based on partially preserved project documentation and hand sketches, and to determine his authorial contribution to contemporary architecture. The research rests on the hypothesis that his relatively brief professional experiences in France had a formative impact on the development of new formal and spatial concepts within Radulović’s oeuvre. The methodology applied encompasses comparative analysis, deductive reasoning, and a critical review of both primary and secondary sources, with the aim of reconstructing, with precision, the chronology, authorial position, and design themes during his professional engagement in French design studios in the 1960s and 1970s. The findings indicate that Radulović, even within a short period, contributed to the opening of new design themes that corresponded with the contemporary tendencies and critiques of the dominant modernist discourse. The contribution of this research lies in its systematic reconstruction of the chronology, authorial position, and design themes of Radulović’s professional engagement in French design studios, while also pointing to further directions of inquiry that may contribute to a deeper contextualized understanding of Serbian-French architectural connections.
The Work of Architect Franja Urban in the area of Pomoravlje and Šumadija
Franja Urban is one of the foreign architects who, after the First World War, decided to immigrate to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, thus achieving a very productive career. Although most of his buildings were completed in Belgrade, Urban managed to work in other cities and towns, thanks to his good relationship with investors. So far, it is known that Urban worked in Loznica, Jagodina, Ćuprija and Aranđelovac. Jagodina is the second city after Belgrade in terms of the number of Urban’s buildings, and the only city where one of them is listed as a historic landmark. Despite partially salvaged project documentation for some of Urban’s buildings in Jagodina, so far, they have not been the subject of a more detailed monographic study, and until recently, the houses he designed in Ćuprija and Aranđelovac were not known to domestic historiography. Therefore, this article presents a continuation of research into the life and work of architect Franja Urban, in order to more completely analyse this underresearched and little-known part of his opus.
The legacy of Serbian architectural exports to countries in Africa: hotel architecture (1960–1999)
In the corpus of Serbian architectural exports to African countries from the 1960s to the end of the 1990s, the completed and conceptual/competitive solutions for hotel architecture, the subject of this article, stand out. After liberation from colonial administrations in the 1950s and 1960s, there was enthusiasm and optimism in the independent African countries for the formation of modern societies, accompanied by the extensive construction of state administration buildings, various social institutions and housing. Design and construction companies from S.F.R. Yugoslavia played a significant role in this, with their construction experience in the decades after World War II and capacity to meet the various needs and requirements of clients. At the same time, new hotels were built, which were important firstly in the context of social change and the establishment of international cooperation, and then for the development of the tourist industry in African countries. From the 1970s, after the construction of facilities with primary state and social functions, the development of tourism also began to intensify, bringing new investments, transport infrastructure and improved service activities to developing African countries. The resorts, hotels, safari hotels and other forms of catering and tourist architecture that emerged in the 1980s as a result of the desire to develop mass tourism in certain African countries brought new opportunities to contemporary architecture on the African continent. Tourism also played an important role in the promotion of authentic cultural and geographical features, so that the architecture of hospitality and tourist facilities proved to be a good way of marketing certain concepts and spatial and design solutions that convey the impression of local specificities to foreign guests. Although most of the tourist architecture projects by Serbian authors were not implemented, their architectural concepts, design features and freer approaches, often inspired by the influences of postmodernism, point to more progressive trends in contemporary architecture in African countries.
GIS-bibliography as a new user experience in presenting architectural journals
This paper highlights the possibilities of presenting and promoting journals in the field of architecture, urbanism and spatial planning, using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. The idea is to visualize metadata from the journal’s bibliography, compiled within the Cooperative Online Bibliographic System and Services COBISS.SR, in a unique way using GIS tools and applying methods and procedures available in the GIS environment. GIS techniques are employed here to link specific data about journal articles (project locations, authorship, and illustrations) with spatial attributes, thereby enabling the georeferencing of articles and architectural projects. The resulting visual representations are primarily intended for a targeted readership: architects, urban planners, spatial planners, but also all other readers. Beyond serving interested users, this mode of presenting articles from serial publications is also valuable for librarians, as it offers a new conceptual model for organizing information about this type of library material.
Lines of Imagination: On the Book “Drawings and Sketches in Architecture” / Marko Stojanović and Vladimir Stevanović
Architectonic, architect Ivan Antić: on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of birth / Dijana Milašinović Marić and Igor Marić
The monograph Architectonic, architect Ivan Antić: on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of birth, by the authors Prof. Dr. Dijana Milašinović Marić, art historian, and Dr. Igor Marić, architect, Principal Research Fellow, was published at the end of 2023. The work and life of academician Professor Ivan Antić, architect, one of the most significant creators of Serbian architecture of the second half of the 20th century, are comprehensively presented on 235 pages of the text equipped with scientific apparatus, with accompanying illustrations. The authors received the Ranko Radović Award for this publication in 2024 in the category of critical theoretical texts on architecture, urbanism and the city.
Development of an Integrated Approach to Spatial Planning as an Adaptation to Climate Change in Serbia / candidate: Ljubica Duškov
Happy Cities Urban Regeneration - Revisited / Eva Vaništa Lazarević
Application of Environmental Remediation in the Regeneration of Brownfield Area: Petrochemical Factory “Solventul” as a New Gateway of Timosоara/ candidate: Milica Spajić