Guide to Skopje Brutalist Architecture

Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, is one of the craziest cities you will find in Europe. It has a peculiar mix of architecture, with the old remnants from Ottoman times, crazy modern buildings that pretend to be old but most of all it has some real concrete masterpieces, a wonderful of brutalism in Skopje.

I even dare to say that Skopje brutalist architecture is one of the finest you can find in Europe and is all architecture buffs will definitely appreciate this insane place. This is my favorite place for brutalist architecture, right after Tbilisi and Belgrade.

Among all the great things to do in Skopje, chasing Skopje brutalism is my favorite one (together with wandering the Old Bazaar which is simply amazing). Even if I’ve been to the capital of North Macedonia some ten times by now I still keep finding new concrete gems, often hidden from the public view.

And so it’s time I share with you all the best examples of brutalist architecture in Skopje. Below you can find all the best buildings with short background info and where to find them.

Many of the sites are located in the central part of Skopje so visiting them isn’t a problem. Those a bit far away can be reached by city bus or taxi.

But it’s fine if you manage to see only a few spots – they can give you a great overview of Skopje’s architectural legacy and will help you appreciate the city more.

Background of Skopje brutalist architecture

Even if Skopje is a rather old city, with traces dating back to ancient times, you can’t find many remnants of the great past there. Instead, the majority of buildings date back to the 1960s and afterward. This is because on July 26, 1963, Skopje was hit by a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 that resulted of over a thousand casualties, and 80% of the city was destroyed.

During the reconstruction process, some of the finest architects of that time (under the supervision of the Japanese master Kenzō Tange) were hired to give Skopje a new, modern look. This is why Skopje is so full of incredible brutalist architecture – the city had to be reinvented after the devastating tragedy and since brutalism was popular at that time the place got a fine concrete look that today is a joy to all the fans of this funky architecture style, like myself.

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Would you like to take on your trip the ad-free PDF version of this guide? You can purchase it, together with the offline map, by clicking here or on the photo below.

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Skopje brutalist architecture

Below you can find all the best examples of brutalism in Skopje, with addresses and some detailed information (if I managed to find it). As you can see there are quite many amazing brutalist structures in the city, it’s like a concrete playground!

Telecommunication office building

Address: 20, Orce Nikolov str
Built in: 1972-74.
Architect: Janko Konstantinov

Central Post Office

Address: Boulevard VMRO, next to the Goce Delčev Bridge
Built: in 1972-74
Architect: Janko Konstantinov

National Bank of North Macedonia

Address: Kuzman Josifovski Pitu 1
Built in: 1975
Architects: Radomir Lalovic with Olga Papes

Saints Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje

Address: between Boulevard Goce Delchev and Boulevard Krste Petkov Misirkov
Built in: 1974
Architect: Marko Mušič

While you are at the university campus try to go inside some of the faculties too, they have a really fine retro interior!

Sciences & Arts Academy

Address: Boulevard Krste Petkov Misirkov, just after Mother Theresa Bridge
Built in: 1976
Architect: Boris Čipan

Railway Station

Address: at the corner of Nikola Karev street and Boulevard Kuzman Josifovski Pitu, the entrance to the platforms is a bit hidden, you can enter from the bus station near the ticket offices
Built in: 1969
Architect: Janko Konstantinov

Macedonian Television Building

Address: Sv. Kliment Ohridski street
Built in: 1971-1983
Architect: Kiril Acevski

Monument to Partisan Munitions Factory

Address: park at Sv. Kliment Ohridski street, next to the Macedonian Television Building
Built in: 1981
Architects: Aleksandar Nikoljski and Vladimir Pota

Student Dormitory Goce Delčev

Address: Moskovska 9
Built in: 1969
Architect: Georgi Konstantinovski

City Archive

Address: Moskovska 1
Built in: 1966 – 1968
Architect: Georgi Konstantinovski

Nikola Karev High School

Address: Nikola Rusinski 2
Built in: 1968
Architect: Janko Konstantinov

Congress Centre

Address: Blvd. Partizanski Odredi 45
Built in: 1963
Architects: Jaroslav, Vladimir and Ljubomir Stankov and K. Stankova-Mutafova

Church of St. Clement of Ohrid

Address: Blvd. Partizanski Odredi 17
Built in: 1972–1990
Architect: Slavko Brezovski

Macedonian Opera and Ballet House

Address: Mother Theresa Square
Built in: 1979
Architects: Stefan Kacin, Yuri Princes, Bogdan Spindler and Marian Uršič

GCT Shopping Mall

Address: Kej 13th November, just off the Macedonia Square
Built in: 1969-1973
Architect: Živko Popovski

Nova Makedonija

Address: Sv. Kiril i Metodij 54
Built in: 1981
Architect: Blagoja Kolev

Home of the Army

Address: 11th October St. 18

Museum of Contemporary Art

Address: Samoilova street
Built in: 1964:
Architects: Wacław Kłyszewski, Jerzy Mokrzyński, Eugeniusz Wierzbicki

The building was funded by the Polish government and designed by Polish architects.

Museum of Macedonia

Address: Kjurchiska street, next to the Old Bazaar

Medical School

Address: Mother Theresa street

Blocks of flats

There are some really fine brutalists blocks of flats in central Skopje. My favorite ones are located next to the Main Post Office, at Boulevard VMRO or next to the Assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia at 11th October Street.

Map of Skopje brutalist architecture

You can purchase the PDF, ad-free version of this guide, together with the map that works offline, to make your trip to Skopje smoother. On the map, I included all the places mentioned in this article, including their descriptions. Click here or on the photo below to get your guide with a map!

Further reading

I published many articles about North Macedonia that you might find useful when planning your trip there. Here are some of them:

• 19 Amazing Places to Visit in North Macedonia
• What to do in Skopje, the kitschy yet cool capital of North Macedonia
• 13 Perfect Day Trips from Skopje, North Macedonia
• Matka Canyon – a perfect nature getaway outside Skopje
• 17 Best Things to Do in Ohrid, North Macedonia
• Tetovo, North Macedonia – Stunning Painted Mosque and More
• 11 Great Things to Do in Bitola, North Macedonia
• and more!

If you are looking for articles about a specific destination – check out the map with all the articles I’ve published (and their locations). You can also join my Facebook group about traveling in the Balkans and ask your questions there.

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For the end I left a few announcements that might interest you:

• Sign up to my newsletter or follow me on Bloglovin to get updates about the new posts
• Join my Facebook group about Eastern Europe, the Balkans and former USSR and connect with fellow travellers and enthusiasts of these regions – just click here!

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