Urban Rings as Indicators of Urban Transformation: The City of Nikšić, Montenegro
After liberation from the Ottoman Empire in 1877, Nikšić became part of Montenegro, a sovereign and internationally recognized state after the Berlin Congress in 1878. With the permission of the Austro-Hungarian authorities, Croatian architect Josip Šilović Slade (1828–1911) was invited by Princ...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Institute of History, Slovak Academy of Sciences
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Architektúra & Urbanizmus |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://architektura-urbanizmus.sk/2025/03/19/urban-rings-as-indicators-of-urban-transformation-the-city-of-niksic-montenegro/ |
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| Summary: | After liberation from the Ottoman Empire in 1877, Nikšić became part
of Montenegro, a sovereign and internationally recognized state after
the Berlin Congress in 1878. With the permission of the Austro-Hungarian
authorities, Croatian architect Josip Šilović Slade (1828–1911) was invited
by Prince Nikola Petrović (1841–1924) to Montenegro, where he designed
a series of significant buildings and infrastructure facilities. One of his
most important achievements is the First Regulatory Plan of the City
of Nikšić, created in 1883, which draws its roots from the large-scale
reconstruction of European cities in the late 19th century.
The first regulatory plan of Nikšić was modeled after the ideal cities of the
Renaissance, with a clear geometric layout consisting of five squares
and an interconnected system of streets. From the central city square,
seven primary streets extend in all directions. These primary streets
are connected by secondary streets, forming a radial urban matrix that
allowed for the city’s development in concentric urban rings. The main
focus of this paper is the urban matrix of Nikšić, a rare typological
example of radial city organization.
From the end of the 19th century until the mid-20th century, Nikšić’s growth
was slow. After World War II, when Montenegro became part of the
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Nikšić experienced rapid
urbanization, becoming one of the most rapidly expanding cities in the
region. This period of industrialization led to the development of new
urban plans which, thanks to the existing urban matrix, were able in
turn to define additional urban rings. Today, Nikšić’s urban composition
consists of several rings: the city core, public buildings, multi-apartment
housing, and individual housing.
The primary aim of this paper is to explore the urban transformation
of Nikšić, focusing on the formation of distinct urban rings that have
contributed to the unique urban and architectural identity of the city. |
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| ISSN: | 0044-8680 2729-8752 |