House on Kukushka Street No. 17
Buildings/The family house on Kukushka Street was built in the period between the two World Wars and is the work of Czech architect Rudolf Voshta. Stylistically, it belongs to early modernism with noticeable secessionist tendencies in the form of stucco vegetal ornaments placed on the open surfaces of the façades, under and around the windows, and at the entrance door.
The architectural concept of the building features clean lines of the basic cubic volume, whose horizontal division is emphasized with simple, color-treated bands. This volume is interrupted by a centrally positioned polygonal risalit on the ground floor, which forms a balcony on the upper floor. As a roof termination, the building features a stylized triangular tympanum, behind which the roof is concealed.
If the ornamental stucco decorations on the façade are abstracted, the building presents a look structured according to the principles of modern architecture.
Architect Rudolf Voshta
Construction year 1927
City / Municipality Skopje
/ Centar
Address Kukushka St. No. 17
Floors B+GF+1+A
Original typology
Current purpose
Protection status protected
- Building chronology (project, construction phases)The building was constructed in 1927.Number of floorsB+GF+1+AProgram description (floor plan details)The elevated ground floor and the upper floors contain residential spaces. The basement is accessible from the rear façade, where there is a door at the same level. The main entrance to the building is on the southern side, where external stairs lead to the elevated ground floor.StructureThe building is constructed using a solid structural system. The walls of the ground floor, upper floors, and attic are made of solid brick with lime plaster. The building has a reinforced concrete floor structure. The roof structure is wooden.RoofMulti-pitched roof with a parapet, covered with roofing tiles.FaçadeThe façade is plastered with a cement-lime mortar in several colors, featuring stucco decoration. The exterior elements are made of pine wood with wooden protective shutters on the raised ground floor.CarpentryThe carpentry is made of wood. On the ground floor façade openings, there are wooden protective shutters at the raised ground floor level. Some windows feature a variation in the height of the operable sections, with the windows divided by a horizontal mullion. The external windows on the first-floor openings have a double-frame system.Building surroundingsThe building surroundings were integrated seamlessly with the architecture, resulting in a suitably designed courtyard entrance gate made of wrought iron, which continues with a fence in the same style.ContextThe house is located in the residential neighborhood of Debar Maalo and was built in the spirit of a Skopje urban house from the early 1930s. With its refined architectural expression and façade decoration, it undoubtedly stood out compared to neighboring buildings and contributed to enriching the urban character of this Skopje neighborhood.
- RoofMulti-pitched roof with a parapet, covered with roofing tiles.FaçadeThe façade is plastered with a cement-lime mortar in several colors, featuring stucco decoration. The exterior elements are made of pine wood with wooden protective shutters on the raised ground floor.CarpentryThe carpentry is made of wood. On the ground floor façade openings, there are wooden protective shutters at the raised ground floor level. Some windows feature a variation in the height of the operable sections, with the windows divided by a horizontal mullion. The external windows on the first-floor openings have a double-frame system.Building surroundingsThe original courtyard entrance gate and fence have been removed. The yard is neglected and contains construction materials.Exterior conditionpoorExterior authenticitygoodModificationsAccording to the report by the NI National Conservation Center – Skopje from 2016, no conservation or restoration works have ever been carried out on the building. The owners have made interior interventions aimed at maintaining and improving the living standards.
- The building is no longer owned by the private individuals who lived in it; ownership has been transferred to a company engaged in the construction of new residential buildings. The house’s fence has been removed, a temporary structure, a kiosk, has been placed right next to the house, and no one currently lives in the building. There are well-founded suspicions that the house will either be demolished or subjected to construction work, which is prohibited given that it has an active designation as significant cultural heritage. The greatest threats and risks to the building are the shifting protective and construction policies, as well as the adaptation of legal regulations that do not support its preservation. This results in the daily degradation or loss of valuable structures that testify to Skopje's urban development and provide historical continuity.
- protected Significant cultural heritage with a second-degree protection regime.
- historical architectural and aesthetic authorship emotional The building, with its unique form, preserved authenticity, and integration into the urban fabric of Debar Maalo, represents a valuable and inseparable part of Skopje’s urban development. As such, it enhances the value of the city’s urban and architectural landscape.
- The responsible institutions for protection and other decision-makers should consider the values embodied by the building and its status as significant cultural heritage. The building must be thoroughly researched, and the necessary conservation and restoration works should be carried out. This is particularly important given that, following the 1963 earthquake, the stock of such buildings has been significantly reduced. 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.
- Konstantinovski, G. (2001). Builders in Macedonia in the 18th - 19th Century. Skopje: Tabernakul. Tomovski, K., & Petkovski, B. (2003). Architecture and Monumental Art in Skopje Between the Two World Wars. Skopje: Museum of the City of Skopje. Grčev, K. (2003). The architectural styles in Macedonian architecture from the end of the 19th century and the interwar period. Skopje: Institute of Folklore "Marko Cepenkov". Kocevski, D. (2022). If You Love Skopje – Come, I Will Wait for You on the Waterfront. Skopje: Begemot. Cultural Heritage Protection Office, Registered Immovable Cultural Properties Under the Jurisdiction of National Institutions, November 2024. Retrieved January 2025, from: од http:// http://uzkn.gov.mk/mk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/REGISTRIRANO-NEDVIZNO-KULTURNO-NASLEDSTVO-2024-za-web-финал.pdf