One hundred and forty-three projects were authored by Momir Korunović, a figure central to the Serbo-Byzantine Revival movement between the two World Wars. While his designs defined the landscape of Belgrade and wider Yugoslavia, shifting political regimes and the upheavals of the twentieth century ultimately obscured his legacy and resulted in the extensive alteration of his structures.
Education and Early Military Career
Born in 1883 in Glogovac, Korunović was the son of a priest named Prota Petar Korunović. Following his higher education in Belgrade, he received a scholarship from the Serbian Ministry of Education to complete postgraduate studies at Charles University in Prague. His technical foundation was tested early during the First Balkan War between 1912 and 1913, where he earned a Gold Medal for bravery. His experiences serving in the Royal Serbian Army during the First World War, including the retreat through Albania, informed his architectural perspective, as he continued sketching new designs while on active duty.
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Korunović operated within the Ministry of Construction as a civil servant, maintaining his position until his retirement in 1942. He emerged as a key member of the Pan-Slavic Sokol organization, leading the Belgrade Sokol Society Matica. In this capacity, he oversaw the construction of approximately thirty Sokol movement buildings. His portfolio reached a peak in 1934 when he designed the Sokol Building in Jajce, a venue that later hosted the second conference of AVNOJ. His commitment to traditional architecture and romanticism distinguished him from the prevailing modernist trends of the era, though he remained an active participant in professional circles, including the 1929 Salon of Architecture.
Architectural Legacy and Political Alteration
The architect's influence was visible through diverse structures ranging from the Seismological Institute Building and the Post-Telegraph-Telephone Museum to commemorative sites like Zebrnjak and the Memorial Ossuary at Mačkov Kamen. In 1922, he renovated the Marshal of the Court for the royal wedding of King Alexander I Karađorđević and Princess Maria of Romania. However, his work faced systematic erasure following the Second World War. Communist authorities deemed the facade of the Old Post Office too bourgeois, stripping it down to its skeletal structure and imposing a simplified aesthetic. Other major projects, such as the Marshal of the Court, were demolished entirely by 1953 to accommodate new urban planning priorities.
Fast facts
- Born: 1883, Glogovac
- Died: 1969, Belgrade
- Education: Charles University
- Total Projects: 143
- Citizenship: Serbia, Kingdom of Serbia, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
- Notable Works: Zgrada Ministarstva pošta, Zebrnjak, Marshal of the Court
- Military Service: First Balkan War, First World War
Questions readers ask
Why were many of Korunović's buildings destroyed or altered?
Post-war communist authorities in Yugoslavia viewed his stylistic choices, particularly those echoing the Serbo-Byzantine Revival, as overly bourgeois, leading them to strip facades or demolish buildings to facilitate new architectural styles.
What was his role in the Sokol movement?
Korunović was the head of the Belgrade Sokol Society Matica and was responsible for designing roughly thirty buildings for the Pan-Slavic organization, including the prominent stadium in Jajce.
Achievements
- Notable work: Zgrada Ministarstva pošta
- Notable work: Marshal of the Court
- Trained at Charles University
