Dr. Djuric Apartment Block by Branislav Kojic

This Building at the corner of Prizrenska Street in Belgrade made by Branislav Kojic in 1933 is regarded as one of the most successful example of modernism in Belgrade.

(two pictures above from rascian at skyscrapercity)

After the collapse of the Habsburg monarchy and the establishment of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (known as Yugoslavia from 1929), Belgrade grew into its new role as a modern capital city.

Thanks to the "group of architects of modern direction" founded in 1928 by Branislav Kojic, Milan Zlokovic, Jan Dubovy and Dusan Babic, Belgrade had its own "Modernism" and some great examples are still preserved around the city.

I already posted about some of those buildings here:
• Hotel Posta by Bransilav Kojic
http://sajkaca.blogspot.com/2011/02/hotel-posta-in-belgrade.html

• Observatory by Jan Dubovy
http://sajkaca.blogspot.com/2010/05/zvezdara-observatory-first-modernism.html

• Villas by Dusan Babic
http://sajkaca.blogspot.com/2009/05/modern-buildings-in-belgrade-by.html
http://sajkaca.blogspot.com/2010/05/3-villas-of-dusan-babic-today.html

• And the Chldren's Hospital by Milan Zlokovic
http://sajkaca.blogspot.com/2010/02/belgrade-university-clinic-for-children.html

 model of the project (http://www.muzejnt.rs)

 The difference between modernism in western Europe and Belgrade, was the rift between the architect intensions and the building industry. The  Serbian Modernists had often to renounce to some details due to the lacking of commercial demand and had poor support from the building industry.

The industry rather used "modern" style to economize on stucco and ornaments (style elements of the architecture until Modernism) to increase the profit margins.

(picture from elusive margine of belgrade architecture by Ljiljana Blagojevic)

The common organization of commercial use in the ground floor and mezzanine and apartments in the upper floors is here combined with a clever use of its location at a corner site. The apartments have terasses toward west looking down to the Sava river.

(picture from goldi at skyscrapercity)

Kojic used a modern language to enhance a horizontally layered podium with stores and mezzanine, a vertical corpus as athe main body with apartments and concluding with  concrete sheltering roof terrasses.
He used the terrasses also to accentuate the exposed corners of the building and gave the building a shape following the side street.

(picture from goldi at skyscrapercity)

(picture from elusive margine of belgrade architecture by Ljiljana Blagojevic)

For more on Belgrade's Modernism:

http://maldini.wetpaint.com/page/beogradska+moderna