#Administration building #Belgrade (Београд) #Serbia #1935
Dragiša (Драгиша) Brašovan (Брашован)
Avijatičarski trg 12
11080
Belgrade (Београд),
Serbia
Public transport: Zemun, pošta
Today's use: abandoned
Description
It is not entirely clear to us what material the house was built from. Based on the pictures, we suspect that it is a mixed construction. The tower in the centre is most likely a concrete construction. We deduce this from the pictures of the bombing in 1999, which left circular holes. We assume, that brick wall would probably have collapsed.
We do not know whether the building itself is also made of concrete. It could also be made of bricks according to some parts of the building.
The building expands in steps both in height and width. The square to the southeast and the main street of Zemun Glavna ulica give the building space to unfold its effect. In the centre, the building grows upwards with the tower and the concrete pergola on the roof to the left and right of the tower. The building expands in width with the front parts of the building, which set an accent with round balconies.
The building forms an inner courtyard, so that all wings have windows on both sides.
Zlata Markov Baranji, a sculptor from Novi Sad, created an expressive figure depicting Icarus for the building. Icarus, who was given wings in Greek mythology, was advised not to fly too high or too low. In the end, he was overcome by exuberance. He flew too high, which melted the wax of the glued-on wings and he crashed. It seems strange that the symbol was used. But it could encourage moderation. As long as Icarus kept to the rules, nothing happened to him and flying was meant to be to his advantage, like the aviation for the Yugoslav state.
Description
It is not entirely clear to us what material the house was built from. Based on the pictures, we suspect that it is a mixed construction. The tower in the centre is most likely a concrete construction. We deduce this from the pictures of the bombing in 1999, which left circular holes. We assume, that brick wall would probably have collapsed.
We do not know whether the building itself is also made of concrete. It could also be made of bricks according to some parts of the building.
The building expands in steps both in height and width. The square to the southeast and the main street of Zemun Glavna ulica give the building space to unfold its effect. In the centre, the building grows upwards with the tower and the concrete pergola on the roof to the left and right of the tower. The building expands in width with the front parts of the building, which set an accent with round balconies.
The building forms an inner courtyard, so that all wings have windows on both sides.
Zlata Markov Baranji, a sculptor from Novi Sad, created an expressive figure depicting Icarus for the building. Icarus, who was given wings in Greek mythology, was advised not to fly too high or too low. In the end, he was overcome by exuberance. He flew too high, which melted the wax of the glued-on wings and he crashed. It seems strange that the symbol was used. But it could encourage moderation. As long as Icarus kept to the rules, nothing happened to him and flying was meant to be to his advantage, like the aviation for the Yugoslav state.
History
Serbia was one of the first countries in the world to develop an air force, which it used in the Balkan Wars in 1912. The Serbian monarchs King Aleksandar and his son Petar supported the development of aviation in the 1920s and 1930s.
This building for the army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was erected on the site of the former Austro-Hungarian commandant's office in 1935. It was opened in 1936 and was the largest building in Zemun. Zemun was incorporated into Belgrade in 1945.
So far we have not been able to find out why an important military building was not built in the capital. On the one hand, the area of Vojvodina, which was added to the state territory of Yugoslavia, could have been used. Symbolically, a new Yugoslav administration was built on the site of the old Habsburg military facility. On the other hand the Air Command decided that the production of military planes should start in the factory Ikarus in Zemun in 1927. And a last idea for the building's location is, that it was already foreseeable in the 1930s that Zemun would grow together with Belgrade to form a functional unit. Perhaps this building can be seen as the beginning of Zemun's incorporation into Belgrade.
The building was damaged during the NATO attacks on Serbia in 1999. The damage was subsequently repaired until 2001.
In 2021 a tender was issued for the renovation of the building. During our visit in August 2024, the poor condition of the building had not yet changed.
History
Serbia was one of the first countries in the world to develop an air force, which it used in the Balkan Wars in 1912. The Serbian monarchs King Aleksandar and his son Petar supported the development of aviation in the 1920s and 1930s.
This building for the army of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was erected on the site of the former Austro-Hungarian commandant's office in 1935. It was opened in 1936 and was the largest building in Zemun. Zemun was incorporated into Belgrade in 1945.
So far we have not been able to find out why an important military building was not built in the capital. On the one hand, the area of Vojvodina, which was added to the state territory of Yugoslavia, could have been used. Symbolically, a new Yugoslav administration was built on the site of the old Habsburg military facility. On the other hand the Air Command decided that the production of military planes should start in the factory Ikarus in Zemun in 1927. And a last idea for the building's location is, that it was already foreseeable in the 1930s that Zemun would grow together with Belgrade to form a functional unit. Perhaps this building can be seen as the beginning of Zemun's incorporation into Belgrade.
The building was damaged during the NATO attacks on Serbia in 1999. The damage was subsequently repaired until 2001.
In 2021 a tender was issued for the renovation of the building. During our visit in August 2024, the poor condition of the building had not yet changed.
Sources
Sources
