Residential Building on Kiril i Metodij Street No. 2a
Buildings/The building is located at Kiril i Metodij Street No. 2a, in the very center of Bitola, near Shirok Sokak. It is a freestanding structure with a simple form and a semicircular protruding section on the front façade, which is characteristic of early modernism.
Large window openings arranged in a line reflect the desire to connect the interior space with the exterior and open the building outward. The façade design features refined geometric decoration, with window openings forming a continuous horizontal band of moderate proportions. The cubic façade is broken up by the semicircular protruding section on the front façade.
Construction year 1939
City / Municipality Bitola
/ Bitola
Address Kiril i Metodij St. No. 2a
Floors GF+1
Original typology
Current purpose
Protection status not protected
- Building chronology (project, construction phases)The building was constructed in 1939. A second floor was added in 2003.Number of floorsGF+1Program description (floor plan details)The ground floor and upper floor contain residential spaces. Entry to the house is through a recessed central staircase area leading to the living quarters.StructureThe building is constructed with a massive structural system. The walls are made of fired brick, while the floor structures between levels are reinforced concrete slabs. The roof structure is wooden.RoofThe house was covered with a flat roof.FaçadeThe façade was plastered with cement-lime mortar. The entrance stairs were made of artificial marble. The façade is simple and clean, with linear window openings characteristic of the early modernist period, as well as a semicircular protruding section in the center of the front façade.CarpentryThe exterior carpentry is wooden, with wooden protective shutters on all openings.Building surroundingsThe building is set back from the street line, with a front yard providing access to the house via a pathway, and the remaining area landscaped with greenery. The property was separated from the street by a metal fence mounted on a concrete plinth.ContextFreestanding building on flat terrain, located very close to Shirok Sokak in the very center of the city.
- RoofMulti-pitched roof. Roofing tiles and, presumably, sheet metal roofing on some sections, with solar panels and additional gutters installed.FaçadeThe façade has been significantly altered. Primarily, an extension has been added to the front façade (the hospitality section), the carpentry has been completely replaced, the original façade color has been changed, canopies and gutters have been added, and an additional floor has been constructed.CarpentryThe original carpentry has been replaced with new white PVC carpentry.Building surroundingsThe original fence of the building was replaced during the extension of the hospitality section.Interior / Communal spacesThe ground floor of the building has been repurposed as a hospitality venue. The rooms from the original structure are now used for hospitality purposes, and major changes have been made, such as demolition of walls, extensions, and similar modifications.Interior / Private spacesThe ground floor has been altered for use as a hospitality venue. The function of the first floor has also changed; it now serves as commercial/business space, with internal walls modified-old ones demolished and new partitions added.Exterior conditionsatisfactoryInterior conditioncatastrophicExterior authenticitycatastrophicInterior authenticitycatastrophicModificationsThe ground floor of the building has been repurposed as a hospitality venue. The original rooms are now used for hospitality purposes, with major changes such as demolition of walls and extensions. An additional floor has been built above the existing ground and first floors. At the back of the building, extra residential spaces have been added, along with external stairs and canopies providing access to them. Due to all these extensions and upgrades, the house now has an irregular and undefined form.
- Today, the house has an irregular and undefined form due to all the extensions and upgrades that have already taken place.
- not protected Until 2003, the building was protected under the NI Institute for the Protection of Monuments of Culture and Museum – Bitola. Today, there is no information indicating that it is under protection.
- historical architectural and aesthetic
- To the relevant institutions for the protection of cultural heritage and other decision-makers: Taking into account the authenticity, state of preservation, and cultural-historical significance of the building as an inseparable part of the development of Bitola, it should be recognized as built cultural heritage from the period between the two World Wars and be included in the inventory of valuable buildings. Recommendation to the owners: The value of the building should be respected when installing elements directly on the façades, and if changes are made, they should be aimed at preserving its authenticity.