In pictures: Yugoslavia's brutalist relic architecture

Architectural style, popular in the 1950s and 1960s, was based on crude, block-like forms

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A crystal chandelier hangs beneath a nineteen meter dome weighing more than nine tonnes in Yugoslavia saloon inside the The Palata Srbija building, Belgrade, Serbia, July 1, 2019. The Palata Srbija building hosted former world leaders. "It is a shame to keep such a master piece away from the eyes of the public," said Sandra Tesla, curator of the building.
Reuters
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Clinical Hospital Dubrava stands in Zagreb, Croatia.
Reuters
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A security worker walks inside Hall 1 of the Belgrade Fair in Belgrade, Serbia.
Reuters
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The Monument to the Uprising of the People of Kordun and Banija stands in Petrova Gora, Croatia. Examples of Yugoslav brutalism include the huge memorials commemorating the struggle against fascism, often placed in dramatic rural settings. Many of those pieces of art remain in disrepair, such as The Monument to the Uprising of the People of Kordun and Banija.
Reuters
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The Eastern City Gate apartment buildings complex stands in the Konjarnik neighbourhood in Belgrade, Serbi. Brutalism, an architectural style popular in the 1950s and 1960s, based on crude, block-like forms cast from concrete was popular throughout the eastern bloc.
Reuters
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Karaburma Housing Tower, also known as the "Toblerone" building, stands in the Karaburma district in Belgrade, Serbia.
Reuters
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Chairs line up inside the Yugoslavia Saloon, inside The Palata Srbija building in Belgrade, Serbia, July 1, 2019. The Palata Srbija building hosted former world leaders. Each of the former Yugoslav republics had its own salon with a central room called the hall of Yugoslavia. Furniture and carpets were custom made and some of the most prominent artists produced paintings and mosaics. "It is a shame to keep such a master piece away from the eyes of the public," said Sandra Tesla, curator of the building.
Reuters
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Windows face out of the building, known as the "TV building", on Block 28 neighbourhood in New Belgrade, Serbia.
Reuters
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The Museum of Contemporary Art stands in Belgrade, Serbia, July 22, 2019. After World War Two socialist Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz Tito set out to reconstruct a land destroyed by fighting. Residential blocks, hotels, civic centres and monuments all made of concrete shot up across the country.
Reuters
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A staircase stands within The Great Hall inside The Palata Srbija building in Belgrade, Serbia, July 1, 2019. The Palata Srbija building hosted former world leaders. Each of the former Yugoslav republics had its own salon with a central room called the hall of Yugoslavia. "It is a shame to keep such a master piece away from the eyes of the public," said Sandra Tesla, curator of the building.
Reuters
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A dated Volkswagen Golf car drives past Blok 61 in an apartment neighbourhood in New Belgrade, Serbia.
Reuters
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A formally used Yugoslav passenger aircraft sits in front of the Aeronautical Museum in Belgrade, Serbia. After World War Two socialist Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz Tito set out to reconstruct a land destroyed by fighting. Residential blocks, hotels, civic centres and monuments all made of concrete shot up across the country.
Reuters
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Genex Tower, also known as The Western City gate, stands in Belgrade, Serbia, March 1, 2019. The building consists of two soaring pillars, connected by an aerial bridge. The tower is one of the most significant examples of brutalism, an architectural style popular in the 1950s and 1960s, based on crude, block-like forms cast from concrete. "Genex tower is among the most interesting sight. People see it on their way from the airport and it immediately draws their attention," said Vojin Muncin, manager of the Yugotour sightseeing agency which guides tourists around the Serbian capital.
Reuters
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A staircase is seen inside the Block 11, apartment neighbourhood in Belgrade, Serbia, July 31, 2019. REUTERS/Marko Djurica A staircase leads through Block 11 in an apartment neighbourhood in New Belgrade, Serbia. After World War Two socialist Yugoslavia led by Josip Broz Tito set out to reconstruct a land destroyed by fighting. Residential blocks, hotels, civic centres and monuments all made of concrete shot up across the country. The architecture was supposed to show the power of a state between two worlds - Western democracy and the communist East, looking to forge its own path and create a socialist utopia.
Reuters

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