How apartments evolved through the 20th century, and what is different now that modern new builds dominate.
One way to watch a society develop is to look at apartment plans from different eras: a “salonac” from the first half of the 20th century, a Belgrade apartment from the socialist period, and a modern new-build apartment. They differ in values and ways of life, not only in looks. Some rooms have almost vanished.
How the hallway became a “wasted square metre”
In older apartments the hallway was a filter between the sleeping and social zones: guests did not walk straight into the family’s privacy. Today every square metre has a market value, and the hallway often looks like a waste.
The dining room is no longer the centre of the home
Meals used to be a social ritual. In most new apartments the dining room is a table between the kitchen and living room, or a bar; and even then one person eats, another watches TV, a third works on a laptop.
The end of the guest room
Relatives used to stay for days and friends overnight. Hotels, short-term apartment rentals and individualism made the guest room unnecessary.
Terraces and balconies are a must
In the socialist era a terrace was a modest extension for a few pots or drying laundry. From the 1990s it gained importance, and after the pandemic it became a key criterion; large terraces are now a status symbol that raises the value of luxury apartments and penthouses.
For whom are apartments built today?
A modern apartment must suit a single person, a young couple, a family, an investor who rents it out and a future buyer, so rooms become more flexible. Vestibules, niches, libraries and small studies are seen as superfluous, though they often gave an apartment its character. The modern apartment is not worse, just the product of a different society; there is no universally better choice, only one that fits your priorities.
