Krsmanović House

Located in 34 Terazije Street,it was built in 1885, according to the design of arch. Jovan Ilkić. Initially, this was supposed to be the family residence of Belgrade merchant Marko O. Marković, but the building changed owners in 1898, when the Krsmanović brothers bought their estate in Terazije. After their division, it became the property of Aleksa Krsmanović, one of Belgrade’s richest merchants. The well-designed base of the building measures 30 meter sand surrounds a central vestibule with pillars, with a side entrance from the driveway. Due to the slope of the terrain,there is a difference in the number of floors. Namely, on the street-facing side, there is a basement and a ground floor, but observed from the back, the building seems to have a basement and two floors. Extraordinary attention to detailis evidentin the decorationof the facades and windows. Owing to the architectural composition, harmonious proportions, interior disposition, artistry and craftsmanship, this is one of the most successful examples of Ilkić’s residential architecture, and also one of the most representative Neo-Baroque buildings from the late 19th century in Belgrade and Serbia. By chance, between 1918 and 1922, it served as a temporary court of the Kingdom of Serbia and on December 1, 1918, the union of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians into a joint state was officially declared in this very building. It underwent reconstruction in 1987.