#bosnia #concerthall #bosniaherzegovina
"Banski dvor is a cultural center in Banja Luka. It was built in the period 1931-32. year, as the seat of the Vrbaska banovina of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Until the reconstruction of the Palace of the Republika Srpska in 2008, it also served as the seat of the President of the Republika Srpska.
When the Vrba banovina was formed in 1929 and when Svetislav Tisa Milosavljević was appointed as the first ban, the need to build a representative seat was felt. At the beginning of 1931, a competition was announced in the Belgrade Politika and the Sarajevo Narodni Jedinstvo, for the creation of conceptual sketches for the Ban Palace and the Ban Palace, and the first prize was awarded to the architects from Belgrade, Jovanka Bončić Katerinić, Anđelija Pavlović and Jovan Ž. Ranković. After that, a tender was announced in Banja Luka for the masonry and covering works of Banski Dvori in Banja Luka, and the job was assigned to the contractor ing. Kosti Šijačko from Belgrade. The young architect Branko Jovanović had a serious task to supervise the construction and arrangement of the demanding exterior and interior of the Palace and coordinate the work of several invited contractors, master workshops, artistic carpenters, sculptors, liquor cutters, masters of various professions and to insist on superior craftsmanship, elegance of form and composition. Academician Đorđe Jovanović was in charge of the artistic decoration of the facade and interior of the palace. Work on the Bansko dvor began in March 1931, while the ceremonial opening of the building was on November 8, 1932. The Banski dvor had meeting rooms, reception rooms, a council hall, a bana apartment with an apartment for high-ranking guests, central heating rooms, kitchens, sanitary facilities, wardrobes and other rooms.
Renaissance influence and academic classicism dominate in the lower zones of the building, while elements of medieval architecture are present in the higher zones. A significant place also belongs to the folklore elements of the Balkan Peninsula.
It was used until 1941 as a residence for the ban of the Vrba Banovina. During the Second World War, the interior of the building was devastated, so most of the expensive furniture, paintings and other items were irretrievably lost. After the end of the war, the palace was used as a military and political seat. Since 1955, by a decision made by the then city authorities, the building has been given over to the House of Culture, and since 1998 it has officially become a public cultural institution under the name Banski Dvor Cultural Center. With the establishment of Republika Srpska on January 9, 1992, Banski dvor became the seat of the president.
The main activity is multimedia in nature and includes: concerts, exhibitions, monodramatic performances, video projections, panels, lectures, literary events, as well as club and studio activities. The interiors of the Bansko dvor are very representative, and some of them, such as the Concert Hall, the Town Hall and the Ceremonial Hall, have preserved their authentic appearance. Special attention should be paid to the large Concert Hall, which with its appearance, and especially its acoustics, captures the attention of both the audience and the artists. During the year, over thirty concerts of classical music, renowned artists and ensembles from the country and the world, a large number of exhibitions of local and visiting artists, literary promotions, poetic and monodramatic evenings are held in these areas. Events are organized at least two to three times a week, but the Cultural Center actually" - https://banskidvor.org/banski-dvor/
