Vučo's House on the Sava (Вучина Кућа на Сави) is one of Belgrade's iconic buildings located along the eastern bank of the Sava river (location is here). Situated in the heart of 'Savamala', one of the the city's oldest districts, the building is located on Karađorđeva street (no. 61-61a). It is notable for its richly decorated facade, pod shaped bay windows, together with symmetrical balconies lined with intricate wrought iron fencing. Built in 1908, the building design is a striking example of  'Art Nouveau' - the international style of art, architecture and design that was popular from 1890 to 1910. As can clearly be seen from the numerous decorative features incorporated into the facade of this building, this movement drew inspiration from natural forms and structures, particularly from shapes and curves found in plants and flowers (click here for an in-depth analysis of the building's features - in Serbian) The building is protected by law as a cultural monument by the Cultural Heritage Protection Institute of the city of Belgrade (cultural property no. 51/97).

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Vučo's House was commissioned by one of Belgrade's wеаlthiest merchants, Đorđe Nikola Vučo (1851-1909) and designed by the renowned Serbian architect, Dimitrije T. Leko (1863-1914).  Vučo's initials in cyrillic (ЂHВ) can be found decorating the base of one of the bay windows of the main facade, together with the year of construction, 1908. Leko designed two further buildings for Vučo;  the Vučo House on Slavija Square (1893) (curiously noted for housing the first outlet of McDonalds in Eastern Europe, opening in 1988), and the Athens Palace on Terazije square (1902). Leko also designed a range of other buildings in Belgrade, e.g. the  Belgrade Meteorological Station (1891) (across from the St. Sava Temple), the New Military Academy on Resavska street (1899) (now houses the Belgrade City Museum), and a chapel housing the infamous skull tower in Niš (1892). Leko came from a prestigious family of chemists and architects (the family tombstone can be seen in Belgrade's 'Novo Groblje' cemetary). A street in the Belgrade suburb of Borča bears Leko's name. Leko's nephew, Dimitrije M. Leko (1887-1964) was also a prominent architect, becoming Dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Belgrade in 1954.

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Đorđe Vučo had originally migrated to Serbia from Macedonia at the age of ten. As a young man he made his fortune as a tanner and trader working in the Savamala area. He married Ifigenija and together they had four sons; Aleksandar, Milan, Stevan and Nikola.  One of Vučo's business ventures was the Hotel Makedonija, a venture he entered into together with other 'Cincari' (Aromanian immigrants originating from Macedonia/Northern Greece), e.g Kosta Totani (1830-1920). Đorđe Vučo's eldest son, Aleksandar Vučo (1897-1985), went on to become a notable surrealist poet and author (a plaque dedicated to him can be seen at Jevremova 32a). After World War II, Aleksandar was personally appointed by Josep Broz Tito to be the leading officer of Yugoslav cinematography and he went on to lead Avala Film - a film studio that grew to become one of Europe's largest (the subject of the wonderful 'Cinema Komunisto' documentary).

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It is noteworthy that both the Vučo and Leko families were of Aromanian origin (see link above), and this may, to some extent, explain the link between Vučo and Leko. It should be pointed out however that the Leko family had come to Belgrade from Vojvodina where they had lived for decades after migrating from Northern Greece, most likely in the late 18th/early 19th century.

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Directly opposite Vučo's House is the stunning Belgrade Cooperative (Geozavod) built in 1907, and one of Belgrade's oldest hotels, the Hotel Bristol, built in 1912. The hotel is currently being renovated and is due to be completed in 2025. The Belgrade Cooperative building was extensively renovated in 2014 and now houses the headquarters of the Belgrade Waterfront Project and the renowned Michelin star 'Salon 1905' restaurant. Also across from Vučo's House on Kraljević Marko street is the former home of one of Belgrade's wealthiest merchants and philanthropists, Luka Ćelović (1854-1929). Built in 1903, the building, along with a range of other Ćelović  properties, was donated to the University of Belgrade upon his death. Ćelović founded the Belgrade Cooperative in 1882 and funded its construction, as well as the construction of the Bristol Hotel (it is interesting to note that Ćelović hired the young Đorđe Vučo to work for him in the Savamala port and purportedly gave him a loan to start his very first business). Ćelović also obtained permission to build his private garden in what is now a public park, the Park Bristol. The Hotel Bosna, built in 1860, was located opposite Vučo's House but it was demolished in 1908 as it was deemed to obstruct the view from the recently constructed Belgrade Cooperative.  The hotel housed the original stock exchange, but the exchange was eventually relocated to Studentski Trg and housed in what is now the Ethnographic Museum. The modern stock exchange is now in New Belgrade (Novi Beograd).

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The Savamala district was heavily bombed during World War II, and the area fell into a period of stagnation and neglect in the post war period. In recent years Savamala has gone through a period of revival and rejuvenation, and the area has become a hub of creativity and design.

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A short video showing Vučo's House and various other architectural jewels in the immediate vicinity can be seen here, as well as a video showing the Belgrade Cooperative (Geozavod) and surrounding buildings. A video of the ongoing Belgrade Waterfront Project can be seen here.

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