The building was erected between 1922 and 1924 on a project of the German architect August Reinfelz, in the academic style characteristic of the period between the two world wars. It was built for Jadransko Podunavska Bank, at that time the region’s leading bank, which, after the completion of the building at Kralja Milana 11, moved its headquarters from Ljubljana to Belgrade.
The architecture of the existing building is characterized by a rich moulded facade and decoration with motifs from Greek mythology. The facade is mostly of natural stone. The existing facade has been to a certain extent devastated as a result of atmospheric influence and the passage of time, and events in wars in the last century (shrapnel damage).
The interior is no less rich than the architecture of the building. The luxurious interior of the ground floor and gallery is characterized by a rich use of reliefs, sculptures, stained glass and ornaments, made of fine wood, stone and metalwork. The rehabilitation and adaptation of the building will therefore be approached with great dedication and precision, respecting the conservation conditions of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments.
NEWLY DESIGNED CONDITION:
The ground floor of the building is designed as an open space, primarily intended for scientific and various guest exhibitions. The space around the counter hall is planned as an exhibition space on the ground floor. If necessary, the space can be transformed into a space for holding scientific gatherings and promotional scientific activities, open workshops, public events, etc.
The first floor is a space where activities from the ground floor are continued. The Digital Earth exhibit is planned in the hall at an appropriate height with floodlights. It is also possible to see the exhibits on the ground floor level through the existing openings towards the central space, The existing windows will be restored, in accordance with the conditions, so that they can be opened and allow visual contact of the exhibition spaces on two levels.
Scientific centres for future users will be formed on the other floors (second, third, fourth floor and attic). The basic principles are also represented in this part - openness, communicativeness and accessibility of the space. As a special attraction with an exceptional functional and educational value, a planetarium was designed at third floor level, directly above the protective structure of the existing stained glass window.
In the attic, besides space for scientific research work with accompanying contents, a restaurant was also designed for the centre’s users. This space will allow gatherings to be organized. An additional quality on the attic level is the activation of the existing usable flat roof by forming a roof terrace with a view of the atrium space and the planetarium as well as the vertical garden areas.
