Pharmacy and House of Mihail Stojanov (Milcho - the Pharmacist)
Buildings/The pharmacy building occupies the corner of the main promenade in Strumica and Marshal Tito Street. Built in the period between the two World Wars, the architect is unknown. Stylistically, it belongs to early modernism, with a façade stripped of ornamentation and the appearance of circular windows, which would become a hallmark of the modern architectural expression.
The building’s layout develops in the shape of the Cyrillic letter “Г”. It features clean geometric forms and a semi-circularly shaped corner, accentuated by a rounded balcony on the first floor. The corner is further emphasized by a tall attic wall that conceals the sloped, complex roof.
Period 1930-1939
City / Municipality Strumica
/ Strumica
Address Geras Cunev St. No. 2
Floors B+GF+1=A
Original typology
Current purpose
Protection status not protected
- Number of floorsB+GF+1=AProgram description (floor plan details)The pharmacy was located on the ground floor, while the pharmacist and his family lived in the apartment on the upper floor. The pharmacist also prepared some of the medicines in the same building, but there is no precise information about which part of the building housed the workshop.StructureThe building is constructed with a massive structural system, featuring reinforced concrete slabs and solid brick infill.RoofMulti-pitched roof with a wooden substructure, covered with roofing tiles. At the corner of the building, a higher attic wall appears, partially concealing the roof.FaçadeThe building has a plaster finish in two shades, with a darker shade used to accentuate parts of the ground floor.CarpentryAll of the building’s carpentry is made of wood. On the ground floor, due to its commercial function, there are tall wooden windows in the form of display windows. In other parts of the building, there are double wooden windows and doors, most with regular geometric shapes, while in the attic area, circular windows appear. In the circulation core, there is a full-height window (glass curtain wall) with metal frames.Interior / Communal spacesThe circulation core is designed with a double-flight staircase and a metal railing with a wooden handrail. The core is naturally lit.ContextThe building is positioned diagonally from the Strumica Municipality building, employing the same treatment of the corner with rounding. The pharmacy building was constructed later, which is why there is an absence of façade decorations. It is situated on one of the most prominent corners in Strumica, bordered on one side by the main promenade and on the other by Marshal Tito Street (which continues the line of the old bazaar), opposite the Small Park.
- RoofMulti-pitched roof with a wooden substructure, covered with roofing tiles. At the corner of the building, a higher attic wall appears, partially concealing the roof. (There is a change in the roof’s pitch-a gentler slope was introduced to achieve greater height in the attic. ***This information is not confirmed.)FaçadeThe building has a plaster finish in two shades, with a darker shade used to accentuate parts of the ground floor and the frames around the window openings. A section of the ground floor façade, which serves a separate commercial function, is clad with black aluminum panels.CarpentryThe ground floor has been altered with the installation of new PVC carpentry. In the other parts of the building, the old, authentic double wooden windows have been preserved, most of them with regular geometric shapes, while in the attic area, circular windows appear. In the circulation core, there is a full-height window (glass curtain wall) with metal frames. In the interior, some of the wooden doors are authentic.Interior / Communal spacesThe circulation core is designed with a double-flight staircase and an authentic metal railing with a wooden handrail, while the stair treads are covered with tiles. The core is naturally lit.Exterior conditionsatisfactoryInterior conditionsatisfactoryExterior authenticitysatisfactoryInterior authenticitypoorModificationsThe front entrance on the ground floor (west façade, facing the main promenade of Strumica) has been closed. There have been changes to the staircase core, with access from the staircase core closed off for the needs of the bank. The interior has been completely renovated. The ground floor has been altered. The terrace on the first floor has been enclosed. Canopies have been added above the enclosed terrace and above the exit to the attic terrace. There has also been an intervention in the roof, with a gentler slope introduced. ***
- The greatest threats and risks to the building are the changing protection and construction policies, as well as the adaptation of legal regulations that do not favor its preservation. This results in the daily disfigurement or loss of valuable buildings that bear witness to the urban development of Strumica and provide its historical continuity.
- not protected
- historical architectural and aesthetic societal/social The building belongs to the interwar period and is one of the first examples of early modernism. It is the first pharmacy in the city of Strumica.
- 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.
- Some of the photographs have been taken from the Facebook page "Stara Strumica".