ALEKSANDAR KADIJEVIĆ
art historian, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy

O ARHITEKTURI BEOGRADSKE PALATE „REUNIONE“
ARCHITECTURE OF BELGRADE “REUNIONA” PALACE

Journal 9/2013 (Museum of Applied Art), pages 127-139

UDC:
725(497.11)
ИД 203983372

Abstract (original language):
Među najvišim i programski najsloženijim objektima podignutim u centru Beograda između dva svetska rata, izdvaja se reprezentativna palata tršćanskog Jadranskog osiguravajućeg društva (Riunione Adriatica di Sicurtà). Sagrađena na uglu Obilićevog venca i Čika-LJubine ulice od septembra 1929. do aprila 1931. godine, po projektu Ivana Belića, već osam decenija dominira severozapadnim obodom najznačajnijeg beogradskog trga. Uprkos značaju, njenom zanemarivanju je doprinelo osporavanje autorstva projektantu koji je potpisao planove, ali i izostanak istoriografskog definisanja zatečenog stilskog plašta.

Key words: (original language)
Beograd, Ivan Belić, Madrid, Palata „Reuniona“

Summary:
The palace of “Riounione Adriatica di Sicurta” (“Adriatic Insurance Society”) from Trieste, better known as “Reuniona” or “Istra” in local jargon, is the most distinguished of all tall, spatially dominant and having a complex layout buildings built in Belgrade city centre between the two World Wars. Built at the corner of Obilićev Venac and Čika-Ljubina Street between September 1929 and April 1931, it has dominated the north-west end of the most important Belgrade square for eight decades, diminishing the visual supremacy of the older independent buildings. Inadequate in size for the free space surrounding the statue of Prince Mihailo, it forever changed the broader compositional hierarchy of the scattered and unfinished urban space by introducing new height relations. Although undoubtedly oversized and lacking stylistic harmony with the older buildings, products of a different, much more conservative time, due to its many attributes “Reuniona” represented an innovative urban phenomenon which changed the visual identity of the greater unity of the scattered square.

Future more extensive research of the architectural genesis of “Reuniona” palace, based on more extensive analysis of its original interior design and structural system, as well as documentation that could be beneficial in shedding some light on the identity of its authors, shall immensely contribute to present, mainly modest and incomplete, conclusions. Apart from the initiative shown by our experts, the participation of historiographers from Croatia and Italy is of a paramount importance for this challenging endeavour.

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