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urban and spatial planning, architecture, housing building, geodesia, environment December 2018 40

ISSN 1450-569X * spatium 40/2018 * International Review

ISSN 2217-8066 (Online)
SPATIUM UDC 728.22(497.1)”1945/1991”
No. 40, December 2018, pp. 8-17 72:316.75
Review paper
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2298/SPAT1840008A

THE ‘SOCIALIST APARTMENT’ IN YUGOSLAVIA:

PARADIGM OR TENDENCY?
Đorđe Alfirević 1, Studio Alfirević, Belgrade, Serbia
Sanja Simonović Alfirević, Institute of Architecture and Urban & Spatial Planning of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia

The development of residential architecture in Yugoslavia during the period of socialism had its peak in the 1960s
and 1970s. Significant progress in construction was accompanied by housing research directed towards finding the
optimal urbanistic solutions for the newly formed lifestyle of the socialist society. The tendency was to “pack” as
many residential units as possible into each building, almost up to the limits of the functional minimum, at the same
time with the aim of setting a more humane pattern of living. Innovative theoretical ideas were developed at leading
housing research centers and then spread at conferences, consultations, expositions and architectural contests. Top
quality design concepts were mostly obtained through architectural contests, which, among other things, also served
the purpose of testing theoretical principles and new concepts of residential patterns on actual examples. Although the
term “socialist apartment” seems to be accepted in practice, in the scientific sense, it has not been sufficiently explored
or examined. The aim of this paper is to explore whether there was a certain architectural pattern as a form of response
to the specific socio-economic conditions in Yugoslavia, in terms of a functional scheme that architects followed and
which could be defined by the term “socialist apartment”.
Key words: Yugoslavia, residential buildings, socialism, housing research, design concepts.

INTRODUCTION by the end of 1955 the “Law on apartment construction

contributions” was passed, introducing a contribution of
Post-war housing architecture in Yugoslavia was the product
10% towards the construction of the apartments paid by
of the socialist self-management, non-alignment policy in
state companies, marking the beginning of a new stage in
foreign affairs and decentralization in internal affairs, as
the development of the Yugoslav society.
well as the economic strength of the state and society as
a consequence of these factors. Numerous problems, such Post-war reconstruction of the existing and the construction
as wide-spread poverty, the lack of construction materials of a new residential fund in Yugoslavia was at its peak during
on the free market, and the attitude expressed by the the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century, when
communist authorities that “a wish for private house or several hundred thousand apartments were built across
apartment reflected the expression of the petty bourgeois the country.2 The period of so-called “directed apartment
mentality” (Dobrivojević, 2012) all contributed to the construction”, with an imperative of establishing the limits
fact that in the first post-war decade the state itself was to the existential minimum in communal apartments,
the only constructor of new apartments (Dragutinović maximal space “packing” and optimal functionality of the
et al., 2017). The tendency to reduce the surface area of apartments is the most significant period in the development
apartments, along with short construction deadlines and of residential architecture in Yugoslavia. After an ideological
inexperienced designers resulted in apartments, even those break with the Soviet Union (1948) and the Consultation
built in Belgrade, being mostly uncomfortable and cramped of Yugoslav Architects in Dubrovnik (1950), architects
(Dobrivojević, 2012). On the other hand, uncomfortable focused their interests with regard to residential buildings
and cramped living quarters found compensation in primarily on three points: (a) the concept and application
communal public space, which was the reflection of the of new systems of prefabrication, (b) the innovative use of
ideological concept (Milašinović Marić, 2017). Taking into modernistic patterns in the aestheticization of architecture
consideration that the concept of “communal apartments”
did not accomplish the desired results (Prosen, 2007), and 2
According to an estimate by the authorities in 1955, at least 200,000
apartments were expected to be built in towns and 800,000 apartments
in villages, in order to achieve a tolerable standard of housing
1
Pariske Komune 8/22, 11070 New Belgrade, Serbia (Dobrivojević, 2012). In the period between 1961 and 1971, an average
djordje.alfirevic@gmail.com of 120,000 apartments were built annually (Vujnović, 1972).

8 spatium
 Alfirević Đ., Simonović Alfirević S.: The ‘Socialist Apartment’ in Yugoslavia: Paradigm or Tendency?

and (c) experimenting with spatial organization (Alfirević Skoplje as talent pools of new ideas and new architecture
and Simonović Alfirević, 2015). Successful design concepts representatives. The same is true of design and research
were obtained mostly through architectural contests, organizations such as: the Yugoslav Institute of Urban
which among other things served the purpose of testing Planning and Housing, Institute of Architecture and Urban
theoretical principles and new concepts of residential Planning of Serbia, IMS Center for Housing, Slovenian
patterns on actual examples (Aleksić, 1975). In practice, this Construction Center, etc. (Bajlon, 1975). One of the most
was hard to achieve due to stringent residential regulations important roles of these centers was that, by organizing
which limited both the surface area and the structure of the and participating in different conferences, consultations
apartments in multiple-family housing units. Experimenting and congresses, their representatives spread new ideas and
with new ideas was not always the guarantee of success in influenced the development of housing architecture and
competitions, but it did enable the public presentation of research in Yugoslavia.
these ideas, which is why architectural contests were the
The activities of the “Zagreb” and “Belgrade School of
main scene for promoting innovative practices (Mecanov,
Housing” were of particular importance, as it was within
2009; Šišović, 2016).
these schools that the systematic development of the
Housing architecture emerging during socialism in functional approach to organizing living spaces occurred.
Yugoslavia did not necessarily have socialist intentions, Although these schools supported modernistic principles,
confirmed by examples designed to include more comfort each school also found its inspiration in the local tradition
and more space for individuals at the top of the ruling class of urban culture and its forms, and had certain role models
and for high ranking officials in the Yugoslav Army, which abroad (Korov, 2012). Generally speaking, the Zagreb
by all means was not in accordance with the ideology School was characterized by its consistent application of
promoting social equality (Dobrivojević, 2012; Nikolić, the modernist idea of dominant function in architecture,
2015). On the other hand, it seems that architectural whereby shaping occurs as a consequence of function,
practice had already embraced, the term “socialist without any unnecessary or excessive details or emphasis
apartment” (Perkec, 2016; Jansen, 2014; Turcu, 2017; on anything other than the main architectural expression
Boumová, Zdráhalová, 2016), which in the scientific sense (Marojević, 1992). As opposed to the functional line, which
has not yet been explored or examined. A step forward in is unofficially referred to as the Zagreb School as it continues
the exploration of this topic is an essay entitled “Influence the tradition of carefully nurtured architectural form
of the socialist ideology on the conception of multi-family characteristic for pre-war Zagreb architecture (Domljan,
housing: new Urban landscape and typological models of 1969), the period between 1960 and 1970 saw a powerful
housing units”, which analyzes this term from the viewpoint breakthrough in expressionism in Croatian architecture, and
of the emerging socialist culture of housing (Ristić Trajković emphasis was put on certain authors’ approaches, which in
et al., 2015). Unlike much current research that focuses itself was a complete negation of the basic functionalistic
on housing architecture and apartments from the socialist norms that the Zagreb School traditionally stood for
period in Yugoslavia (Aleksić, 1975; Alfirević and Simonović (Marojević, 1987).
Alfirević, 2015; Bajlon, 1975; Blagojević, 2004; Ćirović,
Unlike the Zagreb School, which had functional organization
2012; Dobrivojević, 2012, 2016; Domljan, 1969; Ifko, 2013;
as its starting point, i.e. the obvious principle, striving
Jovanović Nenadović, 2011; Korov, 2011; Kulić, 2009, 2012;
at the same time to reach high aesthetic role models of
Marojević, 1987; Mecanov, 2008, 2009, 2015a; Milašinović
world modernism (Domljan, 1969), the Belgrade School
Marić, 2011, 2017; Mokranjac, 2016; Petelin, 2017; Prosen,
was dedicated to researching different functional aspects
2007; Teržan, 2011; Šišović, 2016; etc.), this paper goes a
and worked permanently on improving and searching for
step further in the research direction, trying to answer the
new concepts of how to organize an apartment, aiming
question of whether specific socio-economic conditions in
to achieve more humane living conditions. According to
Yugoslavia resulted in a specific design pattern, in terms of
Dijana Milašinović Marić, the Belgrade School did not have
specific functional scheme that the architects followed and
stylistic unity, neither did it accept original functionalism
which could be described by the term “socialist apartment”.
and international style, as the architects aspired to express
their personal interpretations (Milašinović Marić, 2017).
HOUSING ARCHITECTURE AND RESEARCH IN
By stating the basic principles forming the concept of the
YUGOSLAVIA
so-called “Belgrade apartment of late modernism”, Darko
After the Second World War, housing architecture in Marušić, among other things, mentions that the concept of
Yugoslavia developed rapidly, achieving significant results the apartment was the consequence of socialist “equality”
during the 1970s, both in scientific and practical fields. in society, which indicates that the ideology of socialism, in
a certain sense, existed as the starting point of apartment
Numerous constructions and newly built city areas were
design (Marušić, 2010).
accompanied by parallel theoretical and other housing
research, which questioned the limits of the existential The relationship between architecture and ideology was
minimum in collective housing, the possibility of maximal evident on many levels within the architectural discourse
space “packing” and the aspects of optimal functionality, in socialist Yugoslavia: from the debate on an “official”
all required by the state as the biggest investor (Group architectural style that matches the development of the
of authors, 1978; Group of authors, 1979). The leading new society, to attempts to connect traditional architectural
housing research centers in Yugoslavia were the Faculties heritage and modern architecture. Over a short period,
of Architecture in Belgrade, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Sarajevo and modernism was widely accepted in architectural circles, so

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Alfirević Đ., Simonović Alfirević S.: The ‘Socialist Apartment’ in Yugoslavia: Paradigm or Tendency?

modernism and socialism turned into colloquial synonyms. multi-purpose room in so-called “salon” apartments and it
However, the point is that this is a very complex phenomenon, served the purpose of dining, receiving guests and family
showing the overlapping of the internal connection between celebrations. According to Mirko Todorović, the idea of the
architecture and ideology and the international domination common zone of the apartment, where the family could
of modernism. Owing to the creativity of the architects, gather and receive guests, represented a further evolution of
unique experiments were created in this field (Kulić, 2012). the concept of the Belgrade salon apartment from the period
of early modernism, and similar examples of implementing
In Slovenia, during the first two post-war decades, a large
the extended circulation area with the common table
number of new apartments were built, as was the case in
characteristic for that period (even from the period between
other parts of Yugoslavia. Completely new parts of towns
the two world wars) existed both abroad and on the territory
were formed, like Nova Gorica, Velenje and Kidričevo.
of Yugoslavia (Todorović, 2016). After the Second World
During the 1960s and 1970s, Slovenian architecture was
War, extended circulation areas appeared as a consequence
mainly oriented towards the articulation of the so-called
of the intention to form two centers within the apartment
“Slovenian regionalism”, which was in a way the search for
structure: (a) primary – the living room and (b) secondary
identity, formed between radical modernism and traditional
– the space where a family could gather around the dining
Slovenian architecture (Ifko, 2013). The introduction of
room table, outside the kitchen space (Bajlon, 1979). The
post-modernism marked the end of the progressive period,
main supporters of this idea in Yugoslavia were professors
characterized by experimenting with modern construction
Mate Bajlon, Branislav Milenković and Branko Aleksić, all
techniques and innovation within the frames of given design
from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade. It
standards (Petelin, 2017; Teržan, 2011).
is considered that the term “extended circulation area” was
In terms of the heterogeneous character of Yugoslav officially used for the first time by Bajlon at the Seminar FAO,
architecture, Kulić, Mrduljaš and Taler emphasize that one organized in Belgrade in 1957 (Bajlon, 1975; Dragutinović
of the main reasons for the wide typological differences et al., 2017). According to Bajlon, extended circulation
in collective housing in Yugoslavia was the uncertain and areas were the result of an attempt to “find the form of
changeable standards (Kulić et al., 2012).3 By adopting family gathering at the table, in cases when the crammed
housing regulations on a state level, initiated by the Yugoslav apartment did not allow it, so it was added as an extention of
People’s Army, the conditions for housing military personnel the living room” (Bajlon, 1972). However, the introduction
and their families were raised to a higher level. However, it is of a bed as part of the living room, according to Bajlon, was
particularly important that military regulations found their not only opposed to the concept of living space, but also to
application in the civilian sector, too, after which they were the concept of having an extended circulation area (Bajlon,
widely accepted as public good (Damjanović Conley and 1975).
Jovanović, 2012).
The use of an extended circulation area in scarce socio-
Taking into consideration the whole territory of Yugoslavia, economic conditions enabled different options, such as:
in an architectural sense, the focus was on the maximal (a) turning the entrance area into space where guests were
“packing” of housing units within objects, even up to the received, (b) forming an everyday area where children could
limits of acceptable living minimum for the users, but the learn and play, (c) separating children’s activities from their
aspiration was also to establish a more humane housing parents’ and friends’ activities, (d) the feeling of a wider
pattern (Čanak, 2014; Mecanov, 2015а). As a consequence of space in the apartment, etc. Although in relation to the
these aspirations, the following concepts emerged, making time and circumstances in which it emerged, the idea in the
the core of housing research aims related to architecture theoretical sense was advanced, its application in practice
in the 1960s and 1970s in Yugoslavia: (a) apartments with led to various bad interpretations, whereby the living room
an extended circulation area, (b) apartments with a central was replaced by an extended circulation area, which was
sanitary core, (c) apartments with a circular connection and even supported by the regulations of that time (Bajlon,
(d) apartments with extended perspectives (“an enfilade”) 1975; Ćirović, 2012). All this, in practice, resulted in the
(Alfirević and Simonović Alfirević, 2013; Lojanica et al., living room being turned into space for the accommodation
2011). and sleeping arrangements of one more family members,
thus worsening the general comfort of the apartment. The
APARTMENTS WITH AN EXTENDED CIRCULATION AREA concept of an extended circulation area was applied to a
large number of completed examples during the 1970s,
An extended circulation area was a very important element of
as it underwent the testing phase, first in student projects
the Belgrade Housing School and the functional organization
carried out in the studios of professor Mate Bajlon and
of the so-called “Belgrade Apartment” after the Second World
Branko Aleksić, followed by general public competitions
War (Nestorović, 1955; Alfirević and Simonović Alfirević,
in Yugoslavia. In theoretical research conducted by Bajlon
2013). A similar concept had, in some way, existed before,
and his associates, it turned out that “the common table
between the two world wars in Serbia, in the form of a central
concept in the extended circulation area could be solved
3
“The instructions for construction of residential buildings to be used by in two possible ways: by placing the extended circulation
Yugoslav People’s Army”, State Secretariat for National Defence, 1955: area in the outer part of the apartment – with direct lighting
“The conditions and technical normatives for design and construction through the balcony or loggia, if they existed, or by placing
of residential buildings and apartments”, Construction Direction for the the extended circulation area in the apartment interior and
city of Belgrade, 1973; “Temporary standard of apartments of directed
its illumination through the glass surface of the kitchen or
construction”, Construction Center of Slovenia (Ljubljana), Center for
Housing IMS (Belgrade), 1973, etc. artificially” (Milošević, 2007).

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 Alfirević Đ., Simonović Alfirević S.: The ‘Socialist Apartment’ in Yugoslavia: Paradigm or Tendency?

Most significant constructed examples with an applied possible for economic reasons, thus achieving cheaper
extended circulation area concept are the following: construction. The second reason, as mentioned by Vladimir
residential buildings in apartment blocks 70 and 45 Kubet, was the positioning of fixed elements (installation
in New Belgrade (Risto Šekerinski, 1970), residential block and dividing walls) within the technical core, which
buildings in apartment block 22 in New Belgrade (Božidar in the open space of an apartment enables a greater degree
Janković, Branislav Karadžić, Aleksandar Stjepanović, of flexibility in organizing functional processes around its
1974), residential buildings in the Banjica area of Belgrade edges, since a free-standing core in the central apartment
(Aleksandar Stjepanović, Branislav Karadžić, Slobodan zone allows access from all sides and emphasizes the
Drinjaković, 1972-1976), the competition solution for circular connection in the apartment (Kubet, 2015).
residential buildings in the Julino Brdo area of Belgrade
Apartments with a central sanitary unit, from 1955,
(Branko Aleksić, 1966), the residential complex in Bulevar
envisioned grouping the bathroom, lavatory and kitchen
Vojvode Stepe in Belgrade (Branko Aleksić, Nikola Saičić,
in the same block, while the first examples constructed in
1973), etc. (Aleksić, 1975). The use value and the quality
Slovenia showed the tendency to place together only the
of the apartment change depending on where the extended
kitchen and the bathroom (residential buildings in the Sava
circulation area was formed. Most often, it was formed
area in Ljubljana (Ilija Arnautović, Milan Mihelič, 1958-
as an extension of the entrance, which allows for a larger
1962); Residential-office building in Siska – not completed;
hall space (apartment blocks 45 and 70 in New Belgrade,
residential buildings in the area Šišenski soseski, Ljubljana
apartment block III in Novi Sad, etc.), or as a visual extension
(Ilija Arnautović, 1967), etc.) (Potočnik, 2013). When the
of the living room (apartment blocks 22, 23 and 29 in New
project included the lavatory, it was still treated as a separate
Belgrade). All of this adds to the particular quality of the
unit. According to Vladimir Kubet, the technical core can
apartment, including the open-plan concept (Alfirević and
include: “only cupboards; the bathroom and cupboards,
Simonović Alfirević, 2016a; Čanak, 2013) (Figure 1).
the bathroom, cupboards and the kitchen; the bathroom,
lavatory, kitchen and cupboards or; the bathroom, lavatory,
APARTMENTS WITH A CENTRAL SANITARY UNIT
kitchen, cupboards and vertical circulation. From the point
Unlike the previously analyzed concept of an extended of geometry, organization of the technical core and looking
circulation area, which is related to a group of professor at the total base of a single multi-family residential object,
from the Faculty of Architecture, Belgrade, the concept of we can differentiate the linear, dotty and grouped types”
the apartment with a central sanitary unit was used for the (Kubet, 2015). The concept of the apartment with a technical
first time by architects Ilija Arnautović and Milan Mihelič in core enabled the option of forming different typologies,
1955 in Slovenia (Teržan, 2011). This concept had already however, the majority of examples completed in Yugoslavia
been used elsewhere in the world (Alfirević and Simonović did not venture further than the central core, only grouping
Alfirević, 2016b), but in Yugoslavia, it was at the Yugoslav the sanitary areas. Less frequently, the cupboards were
exhibition “Housing for our conditions” in Ljubljana, integrated on the edges of the core.
1956, where representatives of all republics showed their
One of the first examples which included this concept was
prototypes as a response to the exhibition topic (Bajlon,
the Sava settlement in Ljubljana (Ilija Arnautović, Milan
1975), that Arnautović and Mihelič first showed their
Mihelič, 1958-1962), whose construction started at the
drawing of an apartment with a central sanitary unit in
end of the 1950s according to an urban planning project
public (“tloris stanovanja s središčnim sanitarnim vozlom”)
by Edward Ravnikar. The settlement included multi-storey
(Petelin, 2017; Ćirović, 2012). This concept emerged as
buildings, a revolutionary housing model for that time,
an answer to the need to unite sanitary space as much as

Figure 1. Apartments with an extended circulation area: a) Senjak area, Osijek (Vladimir Tvrtković, 1968-1975) (left), b) apartment blocks 45 and 70, New
Belgrade (Risto Šekerinski, 1970) (middle) and c) apartment block III, Novi Sad (Milan Lojanica, Predrag Cagić, Borivoje Jovanović, 1970-1971) (right)
(Source: author’s private collection)

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Alfirević Đ., Simonović Alfirević S.: The ‘Socialist Apartment’ in Yugoslavia: Paradigm or Tendency?

with a circular connection based around the sanitary unit at the back of the apartment, behind the dining room, as the
(Petelin, 2017). Although the original idea of the apartment source of light, was used for the first time by the Finnish
with a central sanitary core originated from Slovenia, most architect Alvar Aalto when designing the Hansaviertel
of its examples were built in Serbia, among which the most residential building in Berlin (1955-1957) (Fleig, 1994).
significant ones are: residential buildings in apartment Until the appearance of Aalto’s kitchen, the dining room had,
block 28 (Ilija Arnautović, 1970-1974), residential buildings in most cases, direct light and was designed as a separate
in apartment blocks 22 and 23 (Božidar Janković, Branislav room next to the kitchen or was grouped with the kitchen
Karadžić, Aleksandar Stjepanović, 1969-1974), residential and living room (Čanak, 2013). Aalto’s concept gave the
buildings in apartment block 19a (Milan Lojanica, Borivoje possibility of withdrawing the kitchen from the façade zone
Jovanović, Predrag Cagić, Radisav Marić, 1975), residential to the back of the apartment using indirect light from the
buildings in the south part of apartment blocks 61 and dining room, which enabled a significant reduction in the
62 in New Belgrade (Darko and Milenija Marušić, Milan object’s length, in accordance with the generally accepted
Miodragović, 1971-1978), residential units in apartment trend of that time, apartment “packing” (Todorović,
blocks III and Liman III in Novi Sad (Milan Lojanica, Predrag 2016). Aalto’s kitchen examples in most cases achieved
Cagić, Borivoje Jovanović, 1970-1974), and the residential an elementary flow of the apartment, established by
area of Đuro Đaković in Sarajevo (Dragan Dragičević, Oliver connecting the entrance, the kitchen, the dining room and
Stanković, Mirko Savčić, 1975), etc. (Figure 2). the living room in a cyclical line. Some of the most significant
examples with simple circular connection include: the
APARTMENTS WITH A CIRCULAR CONNECTION residential building in Primorska Street in Zagreb (Zlatko
Neumann, 1955), the residential tower on the bank of the
The concept of a circular connection was used in numerous
river Vardar in Skopje (Aleksandar Serafimovski, 1958-
examples even before the Second World War in Yugoslavia,
1959), the residential building in Laginjina Street in Zagreb
as was the case in single-family houses and bourgeois
(Ivan Vitić, 1958-1962), apartment block 1 in New Belgrade
apartments with a salon, where the rooms were connected
(Tihomir Ivanović, 1959-1963), the residential building in
in simple, cyclical rows (Alfirević and Simonović Alfirević,
apartment block 21 New Belgrade (Mihailo Čanak, Milosav
2017). After the Second World War, the use of a circular
Mitić, Leonid Lenarčić, Ivan Petrović, 1960-1965), the
connection in the organization of the housing space
residential building in Save Kovačevića Street in Belgrade
emerged primarily as a consequence of strictly defined
(Nikola Saičić, 1960-1965), etc.
housing regulations, which, during the period of directed
housing construction, minimized the areas of housing In comparison with the first post-war examples, in
space. Aiming to achieve the maximum living comfort in which circular connection is present in its reduced from,
limited conditions, the architects resorted to innovative subsequent examples from the 1970s indicate the designer’s
concepts of functional organization of the living space by skill in the functional structuring of the space allowing
using the circular connection. It is important to stress that complex circular schemes, which in some examples border
the circular connection, among other things, contributes to: with the concept of “flowing” space (Alfirević and Simonović
(a) raising the general quality of the apartment, (b) reducing Alfirević, 2016a). The most important examples from
useless communication, (c) better usability of the surface this period are the following apartments: the residential
area, (d) better social integration of family members, etc. building in Kralja Petra Street in Belgrade (Milorad Macura,
(Alfirević and Simonović Alfirević, 2018), all of which led 1954), the residential building in “Housing Department
to the frequent application of this concept in architecture GNO Zagreb” in Zagreb (Zlatko Neumann, 1955), apartment
throughout Yugoslavia. block 21 in New Belgrade (Mihailo Čanak, Leonid Lenarčić,
Milosav Mitić, Ivan Petrović, 1965), the residential object
At the beginning of the 1960s, under the influence of
in the Senjak area of Osijek (Andrija Mutnjaković, Stanka
Scandinavian architecture, projects by Yugoslav architects
Polić, Ivan Tomičić, 1968), Murgle residential settlement
included for the first time the so-called “Aalto’s kitchen”,
in Ljubljana (France Ivanšek, Marta Ivanšek, 1969), Senjak
which, according to Dragana Mecanov, was an example of
residential area in Osijek (Vladimir Tvrtković, 1968-1970),
the direct influence of modernism coming from European
apartment blocks 22 and 23 in New Belgrade (Aleksandar
countries (Mecanov, 2015). The model of a kitchen, situated
Stjepanović, Božidar Janković, Branislav Karadžić, 1974),

Figure 2. Apartments with a central sanitary core: a) ‘Stanovanje s središčnim sanitarnim vozlom’ (Ilija Arnautović, Milan Mihelič, 1955) (left), b) South
part of apartment blocks 61 and 62, Belgrade (Darko Marušić, Milenija Marušić, Milan Miodragović, 1978) (middle) and c) Liman III, Novi Sad (Milan
Lojanica, Predrag Cagić, Borivoje Jovanović, 1970-1974) (right)
(Source: author’s private collection)

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 Alfirević Đ., Simonović Alfirević S.: The ‘Socialist Apartment’ in Yugoslavia: Paradigm or Tendency?

apartment block 29 in New Belgrade (Mihailo Čanak, Milosav area (which was also defined by regulations), the intention
Mitić, 1974), the southern part of apartment blocks 61 and was to allow the views from the interior of the apartment
62 in New Belgrade (Darko Marušić, Milenija Marušić, Milan to the surrounding area as well as the passage of light, and
Miodragović, 1978), Split III housing settlement in Split this is why the façade openings were often positioned at the
(Vladimir Mušič, Marjan Bežan, Nives Starc, 1968-1979), far end of extended views. This concept achieved not only
etc. (Figure 3). better illumination of the interior, but also the experience
of greater openness of the space. To support this statement
APARTMENTS WITH “ENFILADES” we can quote architect Milenija Marušić, one of the doyens
of Yugoslav architecture, who, when stating what a good
The concept of an apartment with extended vistas
apartment meant for her, said: “a good apartment is one that
(“enfilades”)4 and its opening towards the exterior has a
you can enter at noon without turning on the lights, so that
similar starting point as the circular connection concept, i.e.
you can enjoy the daylight beaming through double glass
it is most often the consequence of the aspiration to create
doors, which you can enter straight on, without looking for
the feeling of a bigger space comfort in restricted space
an entrance left or right in the hall” (Marušić, 2014). All this
conditions. Unlike the circular connection concept widely
indicates the fact that although certain housing research
present in projects made by Yugoslav architects, the concept
principles in the theoretical sense were not defined, they
of an apartment with an “enfilade” was much less used
were strictly followed in practice, as they were the result of
in practice, as it included the direction of views from the
several decades of architects’ experience.
apartment towards the surroundings, along clearly stressed
directions of communication. The experience of a wider The most significant examples of this concept’s application
apartment surface was created by forming long vistas in the in Yugoslavia were apartments in: Julino Brdo residential
apartment and extending them through the façade opening. area (Milan Lojanica, Predrag Cagić, Borivoje Jovanović,
Although the contour of the apartment remained physically 1967-1971, II prize), Đuro Đaković residential area in
unchanged, this concept changes the user’s perception of its Sarajevo (Dragana Dragičević, Oliver Stanković, Mirko
size. Savčić, 1975, II prize), Banjica residential area in Belgrade
(Ratko Karolić, Milan Pavković, Mirjana Stojanović, 1971, III
In practice, this was most often avoided, even though
prize), Cerak Vinogradi residential area in Belgrade (Darko
adequate communication in the apartment in the period
Marušić, Milenija Marušić, Nedeljko Borovnica, 1981),
of directed housing construction was regarded as being
Senjak residential area in Osijek (Mihailo Živadinović,
excessive in terms of its usable surface (Čanak, 2011).
Zoran Žunković, 1968), Kijevo-Kneževac residential area in
The communication area was limited by regulations
Belgrade (Aleksandar Đokić, Mihailo Čanak, 1971-1972),
and amounted to a maximum of 14% of the total
tower blocks in Vojvode Stepe Street in Belgrade (Stana and
apartment surface area, which as a consequence had less
Branko Aleksić, 1973), the residential object in Radićeva
differentiation of the communications as separate rooms
Street in Osijek (Božidar Janković, Branislav Karadžić,
(hall, degagement, entrance, etc.) and their integration into
Aleksandar Stjepanović, 1969-1974), etc. (Figure 4).
the functional organization of space, whenever possible. As
façade openings could not be too large, since their surface
CONCLUSION
area was designed to take up about 10% of the room surface
Post-war architecture in socialist Yugoslavia was the
4
“Enfilade” is a term which in archiecture stands for continuous suite product of broad policies and practices which included
of rooms aligned linearly with each other, which in the Baroque period the creation of particular technological, administrative,
achieved a more attractive visual impression of the spatial depth financial and organizational capacities. Defining the limits
(Harris, 2006).

Figure 3. Apartments with circular connections: a) Apartment block 29, Belgrade (Mihailo Čanak, Milosav Mitić, 1967-1974) (left), b) Residential
settlement Senjak, Osijek (Mihailo Živadinović, Zoran Žunković, 1968) (middle) and c) Apartment block 23, New Belgrade (Božidar Janković, Branislav
Karadžić, Aleksandar Stjepanović, 1974) (right)
(Source: author’s private collection)

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Alfirević Đ., Simonović Alfirević S.: The ‘Socialist Apartment’ in Yugoslavia: Paradigm or Tendency?

Figure 4. Apartments with extended vistas (“enfilades”): a) Đuro Đaković residential area, Sarajevo (Dragana Dragičević, Oliver Stanković, Mirko
Savčić, 1975, II prize) (left), b) Julino Brdo residential area, Belgrade (Božidar Janković, Aleksandar Stjepanović, 1966, II prize) (middle) and c) Banjica
residential area, Belgrade (Ratko Karolić, Milan Pavković, Mirjana Stojanović, 1971, III prize) (right)
(Source: author’s private collection)

of the existential minimum in collective housing, maximal • That these “socialist” ideas for the organization of
space “packing” and optimal functionality of apartments living space had a firm base in theoretical research
were the basic imperatives within which, in time, emerged and underwent the phase of testing in architectural
the aspiration towards experimenting with new housing competitions, housing seminars and congresses,
patterns, aiming to find more pragmatic and humane which made them spread over the whole territory of
solutions for mass housing construction of great density. the country; and
The process of humanizing housing was not characteristic
• That experiments in the field of residential architecture
only in the Yugoslav context, similar ideas also appeared in
and their use in practice were supported by the
other socialist countries of that period, as in the example
communist authorities, as long as they took into
of pre-fabricated housing construction in the Soviet Union
consideration the state budget and “equality” of all
(Khrushchyovka), Czechoslovakia (Panelák), Hungary
citizens, which is confirmed by the fact that one of the
(Panelház) and East Germany (Plattenbau). Specific features
main financiers of these concepts was the Yugoslav
of housing construction in Yugoslavia were the result of the
People’s Army.
socialist self-management, the policy of the Non-Alignment
Movement in foreign politics and decentralization in internal Taking into consideration all of the above, it is safe to
politics, as well as the economic capacity of the country conclude that in socialist Yugoslavia there was no specific
and the society. In the period from 1948 to 1970, housing designer pattern that could be defined by the term
architecture in Yugoslavia had a clearly experimental “socialist apartment” and that this term could be used just
character, due to the intensive aspiration towards the provisionally, i.e. to describe a large number of different
research and foundation of new architectural patterns and examples of apartment organization originating in the
values to mark the period of economic growth of the country. period between 1945 and 1991 in Yugoslavia, all of which
By analyzing the above mentioned and other characteristic had at least one of the housing concepts presented as
examples of apartment organization from the socialist their starting point – an extended circulation area, circular
period in Yugoslavia, the following can be concluded: connection, a central sanitary core or extended vistas in
the form of an enfilade. For apartments originating in the
• That during the period of almost five decades of mentioned period which did not rely on any “socialist
socialist Yugoslavia, the architects did not have a motives” as their starting point, it can merely be said that
uniform attitude concerning the issue of what an they were “apartments from the period of socialism” and not
adequate functional paradigm was as a solution for that they were “socialist apartments”.
apartments in newly formed socialist system, which
is why during this period there were no specific Acknowledgements
designers’ patterns that the majority of architects This paper is a result of research conducted within the
could follow. research project “Spatial, Environmental, Energy and Social
• That certain innovative tendencies and designers’ Aspects of Developing Settlements and Climate Change –
principles existed (the concept of an extended Mutual Impacts”, No. TR 36035, financed by the Ministry of
circulation area, the circular connection concept, an Education, Science and Technological Development of the
apartment with a central sanitary core, an “enfilade” Republic of Serbia.
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Received September 2018; accepted in revised form December 2018.

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