House of Toma Nichota
Buildings/The house was built as a residential rental property in 1935 by architect Ferdo Kraus for the needs of the investor, Trpe Jovanović. Toma Nichota purchased the house in 1938. The time of construction corresponds with the beginnings of the formation of the neighborhood itself, and the building stylistically carries the features of the early modern architectural tendencies of that period. The structure is positioned along the street front line, and in 1940, the Tašković building was directly attached to its western side.
In its aesthetic design, the building possesses the volumetric clarity and form of a modern cubus, while at the same time, the façades feature discrete shallow pilasters ending with stylized Ionic capitals, along with secondary plastic elements in the form of interlacing motifs, blind balustrades on the cornices, which are elements associated with academicism.
Architect Ferdo Kraus
Year of design 1934
Investor / Owner Trpe Jovanović
City / Municipality Skopje
/ Centar
Address Orce Nikolov St. No. 88
Floors B+GF+1
Original typology
Current purpose
Protection status protected
- Building chronology (project, construction phases)The building was designed in 1934. The building was constructed in 1935.Number of floorsB+GF+1Program description (floor plan details)The ground floor and the upper floors contain residential spaces. The project design envisioned the house with a basement, a ground floor, and one upper floor, all intended for residential use. Each floor accommodates one apartment consisting of: an anteroom, two rooms, a kitchen, a pantry, a bathroom, and a toilet. Each floor has its own separate entrance.StructureThe building is constructed using a massive system. According to the technical description, the following materials were used: foundations and basement made of concrete or crushed stone in lime mortar; the walls of the ground floor and upper floor, parapets, gables, and chimneys made of brick in lime mortar. The inter-floor structure is made of reinforced concrete, and the roof structure is built from cut pine timber. The stairs are made of artificial stone. The water supply is provided from a well with a hydrophore system. The flooring is made of pine planks.RoofThe building has a multi-pitched roof covered with tiles, concealed behind a parapet wall with blind balustrades.FaçadeThe façade is plastered with lime mortar in yellow color, featuring shallow relief decoration. The basement is finished with bush-hammered artificial stone in gray.CarpentryThe exterior carpentry consists of double wooden windows, doors with frames, and double-sided casings. The windows feature a horizontal division of glass surfaces with wooden muntins. The entrance gate to the courtyard is made of wrought iron, with identical decoration used as protection for the basement windows.Building surroundingsIn addition to the main building, a drying room and a shed were constructed in the backyard, built of brick in a massive system.Interior / Communal spacesThe interior finish is plastered with lime mortar, the stairs and landings are finished in terrazzo, and the staircase railing is made of wrought iron with a wooden handrail.Interior / Private spacesThe interior finish is plastered with lime mortar, the flooring is made of pine planks. The interior doors are wooden, painted white, with profiled double-sided casings.ContextThe building was located in the then-construction area of Debar Maalo, where, during the same period and later, several representative buildings were constructed that are now part of Skopje's cultural heritage from the interwar period and survived the catastrophic 1963 earthquake. Identical decorative façade elements were used in the façade treatment as in the two houses of the same investor, which are situated diagonally across the street.
- RoofThe building has a multi-pitched roof covered with tiles, concealed behind a parapet wall with blind balustrades.FaçadeThe façade is plastered with yellow lime plaster and features shallow relief decoration. The basement is finished with gray bush-hammered artificial stone. During a previous renovation of the façade, the decorative panels with shallow relief interlace were completely removed, but the owner has expressed willingness to reconstruct them.CarpentryThe exterior woodwork consists of new wooden windows, doors with frames, and double-sided casings. The windows have a horizontal division of the glass surfaces with muntins. All the woodwork of the building has been replaced with new wooden windows.Building surroundingsPaving with concrete paving blocks, grassy areas, and greenery. In the northern part of the yard – auxiliary buildings.Interior / Communal spacesThe interior finishing consists of lime plastered walls, terrazzo stairs and landings, and a wrought iron stair railing with a wooden handrail.Interior / Private spacesThe interior finish is plastered with lime mortar, the flooring is made of pine planks. The interior doors are wooden, painted white, with profiled double-sided casings.Exterior conditiongoodInterior conditiongoodExterior authenticitygoodInterior authenticitygoodModificationsAt an unspecified period, the terrace on the first floor was closed off. 09/2005 – façade renovation. 04/2005 – roof structure renovation of the three sheds in the yard. Replacement of the ground floor flooring due to wear with appropriate materials. Replacement of windows with new wooden ones, custom-made to match the originals.
- protected Significant cultural heritage with a second-degree protection regime. The contact zone of the building has a third-degree protection regime.
- historical architectural and aesthetic emotional
- Konstantinovski, G. Builders in Macedonia, XVIII-XX Century, Tabernakul, Skopje, 2001 Kocevski, D. If You Love Skopje – Come, I Will Wait for You on the Quay, Begemot, Skopje, 2022 State Archives of the Republic of North Macedonia, Skopje Department. Archive No. 6.1.325.24/354-396 Administration for Protection of Cultural Heritage, Registered Immovable Properties under the Jurisdiction of National Institutions, November 2024. Accessed January 2025, from: http://uzkn.gov.mk/mk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/REGISTRIRANO-NEDVIZNO-KULTURNO-NASLEDSTVO-2024-za-web-%D1%84%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0%D0%BB.pdf Part of the original house plans were kindly shared for the purpose of this project by the Nichota family, who currently own them.