The old building of the National Assembly was located on the corner of Kraljica Natalija and Knez Miloš streets. This was a modest building, and with the gaining of independence in 1878 and then with the proclamation of the kingdom in 1882, the appearance of this building became unworthy of the parliament of a sovereign state and it was decided to build a new National Assembly building, so the area near the former Batal Mosque was chosen for its location. In the period, area was located on the outskirts of Belgrade. The first plans for the future legislative building were drawn up by architect
Konstantin Jovanović in 1891, who also designed the
National Assembly building in
Sofia, Bulgaria. Architect Jovan Ilkić won a 1901 design competition, adhering to Jovanović's basic plan. Construction began on August 27th, 1907, when the building's cornerstone was laid in the presence of
King Peter I,
Crown Prince George, members of parliament and the diplomatic corps. Its
charter, sealed in the cornerstone during the ceremony, bore the names of the king, the
metropolitan, and chief architect Jovan Ilkić. Construction lasted until 1936, interrupted by the
Balkan Wars,
World War I, and the
Great Depression. The first floor completed before the outbreak of the World War I. Original project of Jovan Ilkić was slightly revised because of the formation of the
Kingdom of Yugoslavia since its constitution mandated a
bicameral (instead of
unicameral) legislature. After Ilkić's death in 1917 his son, Ministry of Construction architect Pavle Ilkić, led the project. His duties included making the required changes and completing the original design. Construction continued from 1920 to 1926, when it was again suspended. A decision about the next phase was made after the assassination of
King Alexander I in 1934. Its interior, completed in 1938, was designed by
Russian architect
Nikolay Krasnov who designed every detail: chandeliers, lamps, handles, windows, and furniture. The House of the National Assembly was dedicated on 18 October 1936 in the presence of
King Peter II, after 29 years of construction. The first plenary session of the parliament was held two days later, and by the end of the year the building was fully completed. A sculpture by
Toma Rosandić,
Igrali se konji vrani (
Play by Black Horses), was installed in front of the building in 1939. After the 1941
invasion of Yugoslavia and during
World War II, the building housed the
German high command for Southeastern Europe. After the World War II, building was used as a meeting place of the
Federal Assembly of Yugoslavia. Because of its architectural, cultural, historical and artistic value, the National Assembly Building was declared a
cultural monument in 1984. The building was damaged during the
demonstrations on 5 October 2000 when some 91 pieces of art were stolen; thirty-five have been found, but 56 remain missing. The building itself was also damaged but was fixed. The House of the National Assembly was featured in the 2011 film,
Coriolanus. == Architecture ==