Red Cross
Buildings/The Red Cross building in Skopje was designed by architect Josif Mihajlović and built in 1930. The Red Cross building in Skopje follows the series of buildings in Mihajlović's work, where elements of the Serbian Neo-Byzantine style are set against a simple façade. The building is part of a perimeter block, positioned in a row, oriented towards the boulevard, and consists of a ground floor, mezzanine, and two upper floors. By aligning the building with the street frontage, adequate space was provided for a clear and clean articulation of the façade elements, the most striking being the geometrized "oriel" on the first floor, where the traditional tiled roof is replaced with a typical modern element - a thin horizontal slab.
A characteristic feature is the grouping of window openings into horizontal bands, distinguished from the surface with the use of color and contrast. The central part of the ground floor is rustically treated with stone, extending to the entrance area and the commercial spaces symmetrically placed at both ends of the building. The independent architectural expression, unbiased by traditional constraints, is evident through the folkloristic treatment of architectural elements.
Architect Josif Mihajlović
Period 1930-1939
City / Municipality Skopje
/ Centar
Address Kocho Racin Blvd. No. 13
Floors GF+M+2
Original typology
Current purpose
Protection status not protected
- Building chronology (project, construction phases)Addition of an attic floor with a mansard roof, including the installation of roof elements (before 2005). Construction of an extension within the institution's complex, located behind the building, in close proximity (before 2005).Number of floorsGF+M+2StructureThe building is constructed with a massive structural system. The walls are made of solid brick.RoofThe building is finished with a flat roof.FaçadeThe ground floor is rustically treated with stone, while the upper floors are plastered.CarpentryThe windows and doors are made of wood.ContextThe location of the Red Cross building in the central urban area aligns with the idea of constructing landmark buildings, symbols of the city, during the period of its construction. The building is part of a perimeter block, in a row, next to which the building of the Public Labor Exchange was later constructed, designed by the same architect.
- RoofMansard roof, covered with sheet metal.FaçadeThe ground floor is rustically treated with stone, while the upper floors are plastered.CarpentryThe windows have been replaced with PVC frames. The exterior entrance door and the windows around the entrance are made of aluminum.Exterior conditionsatisfactoryExterior authenticitypoorModificationsCarpentry has been replaced. A garage door has been installed. Addition of an attic floor with a mansard roof, including the installation of roof elements.
- The building is in good physical condition, but the renovations and additions have significantly compromised its integrity and authenticity.
- not protected
- historical authorship societal/social The building survived the 1963 earthquake and is etched in the city's memory. The building is in use according to its original typology.
- 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.
- Tokaev, M. (2006). 100 Years of Modern Architecture. Volume Three: The Contribution of Macedonia and Yugoslavia 1918–1990. Grčev, K. (2003). Architectural Styles in Macedonian Architecture from the Late 19th Century and the Interwar Period. Skopje: Institute for Folklore "Marko Cepenkov." State Archive of the Republic of North Macedonia, Skopje Department. Arch. No. 6.1.298.11/552-586. https://okno.mk/node/81504 (accessed April 15, 2025).