The book examines the historical “in-betweenness” of Yugoslav modernism and the various strategies architects employed to define their own positions amidst the diverse ... concepts of life, culture, practice, and time.

Socialist Yugoslavia was literally “caught between two stools”: here, different cultures, diverse political systems, and the Cold War blocs converged. This country produced a remarkable number of modern architects who, in a similar way, defy clear classification. The book examines the historical “in-betweenness” of Yugoslav modernism and the various strategies architects employed to define their own positions amidst the diverse—and at times directly opposing—concepts of life, culture, practice, and time. The best among them created unique syncretic spaces and buildings that blurred the boundaries between the established categories of modernism. Wolfgang Thaler’s photographs capture the complexity and richness of these projects, which they have retained despite their often-sad condition today.