Palace of Serbia

Initially conceived as part of an architectural design competition, the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade was designed by a group of Croatian architects in 1946. This towering structure is the largest building in Serbia (formerly Yugoslavia), and houses a number of government ministries and agencies today.

The final product of the design competition was a stunning application of classicist and modernist architectural styles. The original plans were meant to adhere to Stalinist realism aesthetics, as Yugoslavia was an ally of the Soviet Union at the time. However, Yugoslavia was ejected from the Soviet Union following a spat between Stalin and the Yugoslavian leader Josip Broz Tito. Stakeholders in the construction project decided to have the structure reflect a modernistic style instead.

The H-shaped base of the building covers an area of approximately 65,000 square meters. The Palace of Serbia houses over 1,000 offices in addition to a number of halls and conference rooms.

The unique interior design, with countless pieces of fine art, makes the structure seem more like a museum than a government building. It was designated a National Cultural Monument in 2013.