Today's traces of Belgrade Between Two World Wars: Milutin Borisavljević’s Disappearing Architectural Heritage

Faced with contemporary environmental, social, political and economic challenges, architectural heritage of past centuries is the target of transformation and disappearance. The paper investigates the rapid disappearance of the architectural heritage created between the two World Wars on the example of the extremely large and valuable architectural work of the architect Milutin Borisavljević. Between 1927 and 1941, Milutin Borisavljević has built 123 buildings in Belgrade, of which 114 are examples of residential architecture that were made for private clients. Borisavljević's architectural oeuvre is recognized as a very valuable cultural heritage that inherits the principles of academicism - where the French Renaissance style and classicism prevail, respecting the principles of Borisavljević's scientific aesthetics of architecture - the original aesthetic theory conceived by Milutin Borisavljević in the twenties of the 20th century. The main goal of the paper is to review the changes in the urban image of Belgrade today and in the time between the two World Wars - when Borisavljević built buildings at Neimar, Vračar, Stari grad, Senjak and Pašino brdo - forming authentic urban environments whose atmospheric essence still endures today. The fact is that many of Borisavljević’s beautiful houses built in these urban areas were demolished under the pretext that they were dilapidated buildings (low-rise buildings), and in their place were built high-rise buildings because of the economic profitability. In the last twenty years, more than 30 Borisavljević’s building were demolished, while on the other hand, their aesthetic beauty was the main reason behind the purchase of these buildings by the private individuals and public companies that renovated the buildings, but often not in accordance with the cultural heritage protection measures, and also neglecting the principles Borisavljević's scientific aesthetics of architecture. The paper discusses the irony and discrepancy of the ethical attitude of the architectural profession towards its historical cultural heritage, which is disappearing for various reasons, whether it is completely destroyed or transformed by the application of inadequate forms of reconstruction.