National Bank building in Belgrade
The National Bank building in Belgrade is a structure in the center of the Serbian capital.
history
The establishment of the Privileged National Bank of the Kingdom of Serbia resulted from the development of the economy, money and other banking institutions, as well as the need for economic and political emancipation of the Kingdom of Serbia. Formally, the work of the bank began with the law on the National Bank of December 30, 1882, which came into force on January 6, 1883 with the approval of King Milan Obrenović . According to this, the bank was established as a privileged institution (for the next 25 years in the form of joint-stock companies) with a capital of 20 million dinars, with state control of the work. The official start of work was June 1, 1884 with the rental of the business premises at 38 Kneza Mihaila Street (today's Kneza Mihaila 50), in the house of Hristina Kumanudi.
In 1886 the square on Dubrovačka and Cara Lazara Streets was bought to build a more suitable building. The design for the new building by two architects from the building ministry was approved in 1887. Even so, the bank's management committee entrusted the architect Konstantin Jovanović with the preparation of the project. The bank building was his first project in Belgrade. The entrepreneurs Jirasek and Kraus from Szeged "with the exception of the stone and art locksmith work, the central heating, the lighting, the water installation and the painting work" were commissioned with the construction. After the work in 1889 and 1890, the bank finally moved in on March 15, 1890. For his achievement Konstantin A. Jovanović was awarded the St. Sava Order of the III. Class excellent.
After the First World War , the Privileged National Bank of the Kingdom of Serbia became the National Bank of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes . The building was expanded from 1922–1925 for functional reasons by adding to the existing building along the streets Kralja Petra I, Gračanička, Spasićeva (then Tvornička) and part of Cara Lazara Street to take up the entire area of the urban block in the form of an irregular pentagonal base. Konstantin Jovanović was again commissioned with the extension, who adhered to the style principles that were applied to the older part of the building. The administration palace of the bank has been preserved to this day in this form of a closed block with an inner courtyard. Although it is pushed to the edge and does not have a dominant urban position that allows a full view of the property, the palace of the bank was realized evenly and harmoniously and exudes monumentality and representativeness.
architecture
The style and design basis, which Jovanović served as a model, can be found in the architecture of the Italian palaces of the late Renaissance of the 16th century and in the visible influence of his professor, the outstanding Viennese architect Gottfried Semper . Individual objects, on whose style values Jovanović ties, represent two palaces: The Palazzo Farnese by Antonio da Sangallo d. J. and Michelangelo (built 1513 and 1534–1546) in Rome and the Palais Kaskel-Oppenheim by Gottfried Semper, built in Dresden in the mid-19th century. As the most important work of the architect Konstantin Jovanović, this object shows the primary characteristics of the creator in the best possible way, since in the concept of the facade surfaces he varies the theme of Renaissance architecture with an eclectic approach, which is shown in the use of individual architectural plastic elements from the Baroque . And it is precisely this type of concept of the architectural part that is outstandingly evident in the palace building of the National Bank, which places it in the position of the most important realization of Jovanović, as well as one of the most important realizations of academic architecture in Serbia.
Exterior design
The facade was raised according to academic standards in the form of a horizontal tripartite division. The clear differentiation of the areas can be seen in the contrast between the lower rustic and the higher, quieter facade surfaces, which are separated from each other by a deep dividing ring. The area of the ground floor and the basement is characterized by a heavy, monolithic, rustic finish, which appears lighter with regular, rhythmic window arches. The architectural aesthetic of this area is a clear nod to 15th century Florentine palaces. The monotony of the ground floor is broken by the festively processed entrance, which faces the streets Kralja Petra I. and Cara Lazara. Jovanović allows himself more freedom in the elaboration of the upper areas. In the area of the first floor, the strict hierarchical composition on the flat wall surfaces is dynamized by an alternation of differently profiled windows and the accent of the entire aesthetic impression lies on the representative windows above the festive entrance. The area of the second floor is simplified with a series of windows with simple profiles, above which a deep roof rim with baluster was executed as a finishing motif.
Interior design
Great attention was paid to the interior design, so that the representativeness of the interior workmanship of the object is in no way inferior to the facade solution. The opulent artistic processing of the interiors contains a large number of functional and decorative objects that belong to the field of applied arts and crafts and form an inseparable unit with the building architecture. Particular emphasis is placed on the processing of the functional node, the vestibule in the old part of the property and the counter hall in the new part. As parts of the building that are open to the public, these rooms are opulently decorated in the spirit of the neo-renaissance. Her compositional scheme is based on the contrast between full and empty surfaces, calm monochrome and polychrome details as well as the opulent use of floral ornamentation and the alternation of different materials.
Decorative painting as a whole contributes to the general impression of a rich and monumental interior design, which today is one of the best preserved and most representative decorative units from the beginning of the 20th century. The decorative painting of this part of the building follows the European trends of this time and is completely subordinate to the architecture. The principle of the interior design of a representative object such as the palace of the National Bank has been consistently implemented here in the best academic style. Of course, this type of decorative painting does not bear the stamp of the creator, but was created according to a decorative scheme that was thought up in advance and probably comes from Central Europe. When painting the part of the object from 1925, the identical scheme, iconography and stylistic expression from the older part of the bank were repeated. The selection of iconographic motifs includes a compilation corpus based on the free adoption of quotations from various mythologies and artistic traditions. The general symbolism of the decoration by means of the depiction of cornucopia, griffins and, as the most important symbolic motif, the representation of Mercury , indicates the function of the object or the idea of success, wealth and prosperity. Out of the artistic realizations in this room stands out the bust “ Serbia ”, which was originally planned for the monument to the Kosovar heroes in Kruševac . This bust, placed in the vestibule of the older part of the facility, emphasizes the national character of the institution and is the work of the sculptor Đorđe Jovanović . Up until the Second World War , the bank's room was decorated with portraits of all previous governors, oil on canvas by the painter Uroš Predić .
The National Bank building represents modern European aspirations in the field of academic culture. The building was declared a Cultural Asset of Great Importance in 1979.
See also
bibliography
- Dokumentacija Zavoda za zaštitu spomenika kulture grada Beograda.
- Ivan Kleut, Graditeljski opus Konstantina Jovanovića u Beogradu, GGB LIII, 2006. 214–249.
- Aleksandar Kadijević, Estetika arhitekture akademizma (XIX-XX vek), Belgrade 2005. 314, 315, 354.
- Vera Pavlović-Lončarski, Gordana Gordić, architect Konstantin A. Jovanović, Belgrade 2001.
- Gordana Gordić, Palata Narodne banke, Nasleđe II, Belgrade 1999. 85-94.
- Bojan Radovanović, 110 godina Narodne banke 1884–1994, Belgrade 1994.
- Milan Šćekić, Konstantin Jovanović arhitekt, Belgrade 1988. Catalog zaostavštine K. Jovanovića iz zbirke Muzeja grada Beograda.
- Dr. Divna Đurić Zamolo, Graditelji Beograda 1815–1914, Belgrade 1981. 55.
- Ljubomir Nikić, Iz arhitektonske delatnosti Konstantina Jovanovića u Beogradu, GGB XXIII, Belgrade 1976. 127-130.
- Ljiljana Babić, Život i rad arhitekte Konstantina A. Jovanovića, general part, ZAF V-6 1960.
- Ljiljana Babić, Život i rad arhitekte Konstantina A. Jovanovića, specific part, ZAF VI-2, Belgrade 1961.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ History of the National Bank: Bojan Radovanović, 110 godina Narodne banke 1884–1994, Belgrade 1994.
- ↑ On the architecture of the National Bank in Belgrade: Ljiljana Babić, Život i rad arhitekte Konstantina A. Jovanovića, specific part, ZAF VI-2, Belgrade 1961; Ljiljana Babić, Život i rad arhitekte Konstantina A. Jovanovića, general part, ZAF V-6 1960; Ljubomir Nikić, Iz arhitektonske delatnosti Konstantina Jovanovića u Beogradu, GGB XXIII, Belgrade 1976. 127–130 .; Dr. Divna Đurić Zamolo, Graditelji Beograda 1815-1914, Belgrade 1981. 55. Gordana Gordić, Palata Narodne banke, Nasleđe II, Belgrade 1999. 85-94; Vera Pavlović-Lončarski, Gordana Gordić, architect Konstantin A. Jovanović, Belgrade 2001; Aleksandar Kadijević, Estetika arhitekture akademizma (XIX-XX vek), Belgrade 2005. 314, 315, 354; Ivan Kleut, Graditeljski opus Konstantina Jovanovića u Beogradu, GGB LIII, 2006. 214–249. Dokumentacija Zavoda za zaštitu spomenika kulture grada Beograda.
- ↑ Zavod za zaštitu spomenika kulture grada Beograda, Catalogs 2012, Narodna banka u Beogradu, author, Aleksandar Božović.