International influences in Yugoslav architecture (1945-90)

Within the postwar European geopolitical partition, Socialist Yugoslavia enjoyed an exceptional and therefore peculiar condition:  far from being permeable to international influences as mature western democracies, but even more far from living the autarchic circumstances of other eastern Socialist countries. In addition to this unique position in the international scenario, Jugoslavija developed a manifold and complex cultural and intellectual scene. Gravitating around the principle cultural centers of the federation (Ljubljana, Zagreb, Beograd, Sarajevo, Skoplje…), the Yugoslavian architectural scene was characterized by between them different contexts, that developed alternative and heterogeneous interests, thematics, languages, professional and cultural paths. These paths were marked, on one side, by the strong imprint given by the local cultural traditions, architectural schools and professional practice. On the other side, these diversities were determined by the different (not only architectural) international “models”, chosen as examples for the postwar reconstruction and subsequent modernization of the country. Models that followed, more or less, cultural or political affinities of specific contexts, of specific intellectuals. The conference will present, by exploring explicit case studies, the different forms of international influences that manifested themselves in ex-Jugoslavijan architecture, periodicals, books, architectural theories. Influences that were imported by single figures or larger cultural environments, that acted like mediators and importers of international knowledge in the field of building culture.

Lecturers:

  • Tamara Bjažić, Institute of Art History, Zagreb
  • Martina Malešič, Faculty of Arts, Ljubljana
  • Luka Skansi, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Rijeka
  • Vladimir Kulić, Florida Atlantic University
  • Dubravka Sekulić, ETH Zurich
  • Jelica Jovanović, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna
  • Karin Šerman, Faculty of Architecture, Zagreb
  • Renata Margaretić Urlić, Zagreb
  • Aleksa Korolija, Politecnico di Milano
  • prof. Aleš Vodopivec, Faculty of Architecture UL

Programme:

  • 10.30 Welcome and Opening of the convenors
  • Session I
  • 11.00 Tamara Bjažić, With Le Corbusier in Person – Hosting the Exhibition „Le Corbusier“ in Yugoslavia in 1952 and 1953
  • 11.30 Martina Malešič, Scandinavian Models for Slovenian homes. Scandinavian influences in Slovenian housing culture after WWII
  • 12.00 Luka Skansi, Streets and Megastructures. The multiple origins of Braco Mušič’s urban design theories
  • 13.00-14.00 Lunch Break
  • Session II
  • 14.00 Vladimir Kulić, Ford’s Architects
  • 14.30 Dubravka Sekulić, Learning from North and South
  • 15.00 Jelica Jovanović, “Yugoslavs Built This” - an Odd Case of Yugoslav Construction in Czechoslovakia
  • coffee break
  • Session III
  • 16.00 Karin Šerman, Renata Margaretić Urlić, Jacob Bakema and Croatian architectural scene: Team 10 ideas influencing the local modernist tradition
  • 16.30 Aleksa Korolija, Bogdanović’s picturesque architecture
  • Keynote address:17.00 prof. Aleš Vodopivec, Ravnikar’s intellectual horizon apart from foreign role models