The ‘socialist apartment’ in Yugoslavia: Paradigm or tendency?

Abstract

The development of residential architecture in Yugoslavia during the period of socialism had its peak in the 1960s and 1970s. Significant progress in construction was accompanied by housing research directed towards finding the optimal urbanistic solutions for the newly formed lifestyle of the socialist society. The tendency was to "pack" as many residential units as possible into each building, almost up to the limits of the functional minimum, at the same time with the aim of setting a more humane pattern of living. Innovative theoretical ideas were developed at leading housing research centers and then spread at conferences, consultations, expositions and architectural contests. Top quality design concepts were mostly obtained through architectural contests, which, among other things, also served the purpose of testing theoretical principles and new concepts of residential patterns on actual examples. Although the term "socialist apartment" seems to be accepted in practice, in the scientific sense, it has not been sufficiently explored or examined. The aim of this paper is to explore whether there was a certain architectural pattern as a form of response to the specific socioeconomic conditions in Yugoslavia, in terms of a functional scheme that architects followed and which could be defined by the term "socialist apartment".

The Evolution of Multifamily Housing: Post-Second World War Large Housing Estates versus Post-Socialist Multifamily Housing Types in Slovenia

“…As has been noted by Alfirević and Simonović Alfirević [32], post-WW2 housing design and production in Yugoslavia was the product of the dire circumstances that emerged after the end of the war. The political leadership urgently needed to introduce measures to deal with the large-scale destruction of buildings and key infrastructure as well as set up the foundations for the revival of the devastated national economy.…”

“…Alfirević, and Simonović Alfirević [32] report that post-war housing design and construction in Yugoslavia was implemented under the guidelines defined in the so-called "directed housing construction" doctrine which had been adopted by the federal authorities in Belgrade. The two authors explain that the "directed housing construction" regulation pursued the imperative to design and construct minimum-sized apartments so as to achieve the maximum use of built-up space.…”

Urbanisation as a Tool for Economic Growth – Novi Sad the Developmental City

“…The first is the period of intensive urbanisation following World War II, which occurred in the political, economic, and social framework of socialist Yugoslavia. Although various subperiods within this era could be distinguished [8,9], for example, those with distinct home types [10,11], for the purposes of this study, the entire period is investigated as being one due to the overall similarities. The second is the beginning of the 21st century-the first two decades-which coincides with major changes in the urban development framework.…”

Large Housing Estates under Socialism

“…In socialist Yugoslavia, housing concepts were continually developed since the Second World War ended. Numerous realizations and the forming of entirely new city areas were also accompanied by theoretical and other research in the fields of habitology (Alfirević and Simonović Alfirević 2018). During the 1970s, significant results were achieved in the fields of science and practice.…”