Title

Author(s)

Ana Curk

Affiliation

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Niš

DOI

https://doi.org/10.65686/QNFK8631

Keywords

Adaptive Reuse, Difficult Heritage, General Staff Belgrade

PP

235-242

How to Cite

Curk, Ana. “Endangered Heritage: Adaptive Reuse of the War-Damaged General Staff in Belgrade.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 235-242. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.

Abstract

This paper examines how prolonged legal and material indeterminacy reshapes the heritage value of war ruins and explores adaptive reuse strategies capable of reconciling memorial and utilitarian imperatives. Focusing on Nikola Dobrović’s General Staff complex (1965), it traces the site’s trajectory from a landmark of Yugoslav late modernism, through a locus of difficult heritage after the 1999 NATO bombing, to a contested commodity in contemporary Belgrade. Drawing on archival and legislative analysis, as well as a critical review of expert discourse, this study examines the impact of legal uncertainty and market pressure on this post-war ruin. The urgency and complexity of this case is clearly shown by Serbian Government’s decision in November 2024 to revoke the building’s heritage status, followed by its inclusion on Europa Nostra’s 7 Most Endangered list for 2025. The analysis outlines three discussion-level scenarios – reconstruction according to the original design, adaptive reconstruction with a public program, and full commercial conversion. Each is evaluated for its capacity to reconcile remembrance, urban integration, and economic viability. The paper concludes with recommendations for the critical conservation of war-damaged architecture under increasing privatization pressures. It proposes a design approach in which minimal intervention and reversible insertion allow the building’s material scars to be incorporated into a cultural center and museum program.

Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai

Publisher
STH Press, Firenze

ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263

Year
2026

Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.