As part of its program dedicated to contemporary practices in architecture, Urania – Space of Creation will host the Belgrade-based platform ASAP (Association of Serbian Architectural Practices) on Thursday, May 22, starting at 5:30 PM. This professional gathering will focus on contemporary models of architectural production in Serbia, opening up questions of professional autonomy, integrity, and architecture’s relationship to the context in which it emerges—through a dialogue with three relevant Belgrade-based architectural studios.

ASAP is a business association founded with the aim of redefining the position of architectural practice within a broader social, cultural, and economic framework. Through an open approach and professional dialogue, ASAP brings together studios that see architecture as a tool for social engagement. By exchanging experiences, collaborating, and working on projects, members are developing a new type of architectural practice that transcends conventional bureaucratic and market constraints.

Speakers:

• Dr. Ljiljana Blagojević, architect, theorist, and architectural historian
• Maja Necić from Studio Autori
• Milka Gnjato from Zabriskie Studio
• Dušica Totić from Remorker Architects

Their diverse positions and project practices will serve as a starting point for reflecting on architecture under the conditions of capital dominance, neglected urban planning, and weak institutional support for the profession.

Maja Necić will address the concept of architectural autonomy through the work of Studio Autori, focusing on interventions rooted in an understanding of existing context, local knowledge, and time-intensive processes. Projects such as Mokrin House/House A and the studio’s own office exemplify a subtle balance between heritage and new architectural articulation.

Milka Gnjato will speak about architectural autonomy not as retreat into self-referentiality, but as an active critical response to the banalization of urban production. Through projects such as Revolucija and Merin Hill, she opens space for a different approach to the design of commercial and residential complexes.

Dušica Totić will present complex reconstructions of iconic buildings of Serbian modernism, such as Palata Beograd and BIGZ, exploring the relationship between heritage, contemporaneity, and design responsibility.

The program will be opened by Igor Marsenić, Executive Director of ASAP, with a brief introduction to the association’s mission and work.

This evening at Urania will not only map the current trajectories of the Belgrade architectural scene but will also raise important questions about the future of architectural practice under conditions of increasing professional fragmentation, weak regulations, and growing economic pressures. At the heart of the discussion will be the potential of architecture to simultaneously preserve its integrity and act as a transformative force within the social space.