New Belgrade - Ultimate commieblock neighbourhood

[Nemanja034]

Originally Posted by HerrParhom

Novi Beograd is quite attractive. People who bash it don't seem to view it in the proper context. Not everything can be old style Gothic/Italian/Greek inspired and architecture like what's seen in New Belgrade really was progressive in its day. In fact, there really hasn't been extensive new construction in the world which has been as forward thinking as what was built during the modernist era. And with that being said, what was constructed in Yugoslavia during the '60s-'80s was really some of the best of its kind.

Many of you seem unforgiving of the fact that most communist countries went through hell in the 1990s, few more so than Serbia and Bosnia. Belgrade was also leveled many times over the past century before it became the capital of the new Socialist Yugoslavia, a period during which is was the most liberal city in the federation. The collapse of Yugoslavia saw many population shifts and an influx of many refugees from the countryside, who entered a city and country which was bankrupt. You can judge the intentions of Yugoslavs by the appearance of today's Belgrade as much as you can judge the intentions of Iraqis by the appearance of today's Baghdad, which is to say not at all!

But during Yugoslavia's golden age, an optimistic population transformed what had been for centuries one of Europe's poorest cities to one of the most prosperous and cosmopolitan. You must imagine New Belgrade with properly tended lawns and parks and clean facades to get a real image of what it was supposed to be. Its current appearance is not intentional.

Indeed, growing up in the US, the only places I've seen such progressive architecture in one place has been on college campuses, and it does not compare in terms of scale. This architecture was very different and distinctive when it was new and should be preserved in all parts of the world. I believe more people will come to appreciate it but only after it's too late.

I wouldnt say it better than you did. And you have shown more knowledge than most of Belgrade forumers. Well explaned.

[AnOldBlackMarble]

Originally Posted by Alterlee

It grows on you.

Or you grow in it, so you don't have a choice.

[Aurelian]

Originally Posted by tikiturf

OMG ! How can people live there ?

Because we are eastern europeans and you have to be from here to understand.Proud to grow up in a place like this, this is how you learn what life is and less you have, more you value.

[Singidunum]

Originally Posted by tikiturf

OMG ! How can people live there ?

Just like they can live in

[Alterlee]

Originally Posted by AnOldBlackMarble

Or you grow in it, so you don't have a choice.

Well, yeah.

People seem to forget that commieblocks aren't equivalent of ghettos, commieblocks are ugly, no question about that, but aside from aesthetics it is normal functioning part of city for middle and lower class, it is not gated, there are numerous parks, schools, stores, hospitals, playfields, people walk freely during day and night, there is no rampart crime, streets are clean, boulevards are wide and there is a lot of space...

[tikiturf]

Originally Posted by Singidunum

Just like they can live in

I'd prefer live in the picture that you posted than in New Belgrade. Hopefully I don't live in a commieblock

[Singidunum]

Originally Posted by tikiturf

I'd prefer live in the picture that you posted than in New Belgrade. Hopefully I don't live in a commieblock

Of course but unfortunately only in Harry Potter you can live in a picture.

[tikiturf]

Not only in Harry Potter.

[Srdjan Adamovic]

[Srdjan Adamovic]

[Belgrader]

Originally Posted by tikiturf

OMG ! How can people live there ?

I live in Old Town but New Belgrade is simply amazing, it looks much more futuristic than most of new skyscraper clusters that are being built around the world. I think it has to do something with ideology, in those times people were thrilled about the future and wanted to go there as quickly as they could and now it seems that people are afraid of the future, so we can see that in present day architecture.

[yabbes]

very interesting

[Iluminat]

Originally Posted by Alterlee

People seem to forget that commieblocks aren't equivalent of ghettos, commieblocks are ugly, no question about that

Well if they are well maintained there is nothing ugly about most of them, they are simple and sometimes too long but this architecture is almost never tacky, at least not if it's renovated properly modern architecture is quite boxy in general so it shouldn't be a problem.

it is not gated

Unfortunately in Poland some commieblock areas turned into gated communities, it's fashion I guess...

[Srdjan Adamovic]

image hosted on flickr

[Alterlee]

Brutal...ly awesome.

Originally Posted by Srdjan Adamovic

panoramio

[Alterlee]

Originally Posted by Bez_imena

...

[Srdjan Adamovic]

[Srdjan Adamovic]

[Srdjan Adamovic]

[pets]

this neighbourhood is just amazing! i think its very beautiful