#Exhibition hall #Belgrade (Београд) #1937
Milivoj (Миливоj) Tričković (Тричковић), Aleksandar (Александар) Sekulić (Секулић), Rajko (Рајкo) Tatić (Татић), Đorđe (Ђорђe) Lukić (Лукић)
Sajmište
11070
Belgrade (Београд),
Serbia
Public transport: Staro sajmište
Access: Public area
Today's use: Apartments, offices, abandoned
Description
This site marked the beginning of the development of the left bank of the River Sava in Belgrade. The neighbouring Brankov most already crossed the river, so that the exhibition grounds were very well connected to the central areas of Belgrade. The complex was built around the central trade fair tower, designed by Aleksandar Sekulić. This impresses with its slender and partially transparent construction. Of the original buildings, only the northern pavilions have survived. These served as national exhibition halls for Italy and Czechoslovakia, as was customary at the time. Also do still exist the former hall of Hungary, of the Foundation of Nikola Spasić, the Palace Stefanović as well as the little administrative building next to the Italian Pavilion. Other pavilions, such as that of France, Germany (1939), the Netherlands, Romania and Turkey (1938) no longer exist. Yugoslavia had five pavilions that were planned by Tatić, Trčković and Lukić. They were the largest buildings on the exhibition ground.
Some of the buildings, like the Czechoslovak pavilion do exist, but they are overgrown with greenery that they are invisible in summer.
Description
This site marked the beginning of the development of the left bank of the River Sava in Belgrade. The neighbouring Brankov most already crossed the river, so that the exhibition grounds were very well connected to the central areas of Belgrade. The complex was built around the central trade fair tower, designed by Aleksandar Sekulić. This impresses with its slender and partially transparent construction. Of the original buildings, only the northern pavilions have survived. These served as national exhibition halls for Italy and Czechoslovakia, as was customary at the time. Also do still exist the former hall of Hungary, of the Foundation of Nikola Spasić, the Palace Stefanović as well as the little administrative building next to the Italian Pavilion. Other pavilions, such as that of France, Germany (1939), the Netherlands, Romania and Turkey (1938) no longer exist. Yugoslavia had five pavilions that were planned by Tatić, Trčković and Lukić. They were the largest buildings on the exhibition ground.
Some of the buildings, like the Czechoslovak pavilion do exist, but they are overgrown with greenery that they are invisible in summer.
History
The decision to build a Exhibition Ground in Belgrade was made in December 1935. One of the decisive points was that the city declared itself a tourist city in 1936. The capital status was certainly also decisive. The competition for the designs began in April 1936. The newspaper Politika writes, that the first plan of the exhibition ground was drawn by an unknown Czech architects. Some Czech architects had there offices in Belgrade, Matěj Blecha, who worked with JaroslavPrchal, Vjekoslav Muršec and Jan Dubový. As the new Belgrade mayor Vlada Ilić visited the Technical Directorate, that was responsible for constructions, the plans were changed. The attention turned to Rajko Tatić, Milivoj Tričković and Đorđe Lukić.
The site was built from spring 1937 and opened on 9th September 1937.
Between 1941 and 1944 the place was used as a concemtration camp. Germany and Croatia occupied this part of Belgrade. In the Yugoslav history it became a well known place of holocaust. Mostly all Jews from Belgrade were murdered on this site. That's the reason, why the area of the exhibition ground became a cultural monument in 1987. So far, however, only two monuments commemorate this period. There is no real reappraisal of the history on site. This is set to change.
Since 2012 the Cultural Heritage Institute planned to renovate the Central Tower. The reconstruction works started in 2022 and finished in 2024. The next plan is to reconstruct the Italian Pavilion, later probably also the Czechoslovak Pavilion. All should became a place for the memorial complex and cultural property Staro sajmište.
History
The decision to build a Exhibition Ground in Belgrade was made in December 1935. One of the decisive points was that the city declared itself a tourist city in 1936. The capital status was certainly also decisive. The competition for the designs began in April 1936. The newspaper Politika writes, that the first plan of the exhibition ground was drawn by an unknown Czech architects. Some Czech architects had there offices in Belgrade, Matěj Blecha, who worked with JaroslavPrchal, Vjekoslav Muršec and Jan Dubový. As the new Belgrade mayor Vlada Ilić visited the Technical Directorate, that was responsible for constructions, the plans were changed. The attention turned to Rajko Tatić, Milivoj Tričković and Đorđe Lukić.
The site was built from spring 1937 and opened on 9th September 1937.
Between 1941 and 1944 the place was used as a concemtration camp. Germany and Croatia occupied this part of Belgrade. In the Yugoslav history it became a well known place of holocaust. Mostly all Jews from Belgrade were murdered on this site. That's the reason, why the area of the exhibition ground became a cultural monument in 1987. So far, however, only two monuments commemorate this period. There is no real reappraisal of the history on site. This is set to change.
Since 2012 the Cultural Heritage Institute planned to renovate the Central Tower. The reconstruction works started in 2022 and finished in 2024. The next plan is to reconstruct the Italian Pavilion, later probably also the Czechoslovak Pavilion. All should became a place for the memorial complex and cultural property Staro sajmište.
Sources
