Contribution of slovenian architect Franc Avbelj and “Planinka” Company To The Development Of Tourism In Serbia: A Case Study of the Urban-Architectural Solution of Kuršumlija Spa

The formation of ideology and construction of physical symbols of the Socialist Yugoslavia were closely related. During period of Socialist Aestheticism, it was almost impossible to separate where contributions of creative individuals and architects begin and where the state propaganda ends. Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, tourism was gaining mass character worldwide. In Yugoslavia however, the ruling ideology has significantly contributed to transformation of tourism into a mass phenomenon. Through unions and similar communities for leisure and recreation, tourism has become part of the ruling narrative of equal rights for all. It was originally used as a mean for state propaganda in the form of social tourism. During that period, numerous resorts and spas were built throughout the state. They were mostly built on shores of the Adriatic Sea, but the construction of accommodation facilities on mountains, especially in Serbia and Slovenia, was not far behind. The focus of the paper is on the analysis of cooperation between the "Planinka" Company from Kuršumlija in Serbia as a carrier of tourism in the region and the architect Franc Avbelj from Slovenia as an expert in designing tourist facilities. In series of projects created by this cooperation, project of urbanistic and architectural design of Kuršumlija Spa and the Medical and Recreational Center "Žubor" were singled out. During its construction, the "Žubor" Center was the first tourist and healthcare facility of its type in the wider region. The aim of the paper is to point out the interrelation of all participants during thоse extensive efforts, to present organizational and aesthetic characteristics of those projects as well as to highlight immeasurable consequences of the long-standing marginalization of former republic's building achievements. The results of the paper suggest that in the current world of globalization, ideological disagreements can be overpowered only by the commercial gain