Palace Albania, High-rise building at Terazije intersection, Belgrade, Serbia
Palace Albania is a 13-story modern tower at the corner of Knez Mihailova Street and Terazije intersection in central Belgrade. Its concrete structure features gray marble cladding and sits on a raised foundation that creates an open ground level beneath the building.
Construction began in July 1938 and finished in October 1939, replacing a longtime tavern that occupied the site. The completed tower became a symbol of Belgrade's modern urban development on the eve of World War II.
The name comes from the kafana "Kod Albanije" that stood here from 1860 until its demolition after midnight on 17 October 1936. Its clock was Belgrade's first public clock and the city's most popular meeting point. Writer Branislav Nušić, a regular guest, wrote in 1929 that the kafana would stay forever.
The building sits at a major intersection, easily reached on foot from Belgrade's main shopping streets. The open ground level beneath the structure provides a natural gathering and pass-through space for pedestrians.
In 1944 a half-tonne bomb hit the palace during Allied bombing of Belgrade, when it housed the main staff of Organisation Todt and its basement served as an anti-aircraft shelter for senior German officials. The building was damaged, not left intact.
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