Year of construction: 1938
Architecture: late modernism
Location: corner of Knez Mihailova street and Kolarčeva street, Stari Grad district
Nearby: Ruski Car (eng. "Russian Tzar building"), Obilićev Venac, Republic square, Knez Mihailova street, Hotel "Moskva", Palace "Athens", Palace "Anker", Balkanska street, Iguman's Palace, Old Assicurazioni Generali palace, Krsmanović house, Old Bank of Smederevo Building, Old Ministry of Justice building, Old Export Bank building, Old Palace (now City Hall), Nikola Pašić square, National Assembly of Serbia, Palace of the old Yugoslav Bank, House of the Press, Terazije fountain, Hotel "Balkan", House of Vuk's Foundation, Zeleni Venac
History: This kind of monumental building was needed to complete the elyptical structure of Terazije square, instead of old and insconpicuous tavern called "Albania" that stood before in its place (and hence the origin of the name). But also symbolically, the name "Albania" was fit to represent the heroic effort of the Serbian army in the Great War (WWI), who crossed Albanian country retreating before a much larger Austro-Hungarian manpower (end of 1915), only to return triumphant a few years later (1918), pushing through Salonica Front. Built from ferrocement with marble panels, It has 13 floors and is 53 meters tall. The fascinating thing is that it was completely finished in less than a year. It overlooks Terazije square and it is placed at the entrance of Knez Mihailova street, main pedestrian zone in the city.
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