Eastern City Gates, also known as Rudo Buildings, is one of the most prominent structures and a residential complex of buildings, located in Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. Being easy to distinguish, the complex is comprised of three similar-looking buildings, organized in a circle, and can be easily spotted in Belgrade’s skyline.
Designed by architect Vera Ćirković and civil engineer Milutin Jerotijević, these three buildings have 28 stories and 190 residential apartments in total. The Eastern City Gates in Belgrade were built between 1973 and 1976, and the reason behind the construction in a circle, while appearing as triangular-shaped, was so that it always visually appears that one of the towers is between the other two.
When they were constructed, the Eastern City Gates followed the usual brutalist architectural style, which clearly resembles the era when a socialist-communism ruled Yugoslavia. The first four floors of the towers are the largest, containing the biggest apartments, and as you move up, you’ll see six group blocks of four floors. But what is interesting is that the buildings are organized like a set of steps that reach towards the sky.
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Since they were built really fast, they are efficient high-density apartment blocks with estimates that around 2,000 people live in them. At the time when they were built, they were highly modern, but over time, they slowly started to decay. Despite this fact, it seems that the residents are not worried that much about the problem, although there are always talks of doing restorations and renovations to bring them to their former glory, during Yugoslav times.
There are a couple of elevators in all three towers, with organized parking spots and parks around them, but living inside is something most likely extraordinary since you have an amazing view of the city of Belgrade. Overall, even though they are from a bygone era, the Eastern City Gates of Belgrade shall continue to be the home of many Belgradian citizens, and will always greet people coming to this Balkan city from its eastern side.
In conclusion, the Eastern City Gates in Belgrade, Serbia, stand as a towering testament to Yugoslavia’s ambitious socialist-modernist architecture that shall continue to dominate the Belgrade skyline. With their stepped, triangular silhouettes, these three residential giants represent more than just a housing solution; they are, in fact, a symbolic portal welcoming travelers from the east.
