Mihailo Čanak


Mihailo Čanak was a Serbian architect and researcher. He was born in Belgrade, on 2 June 1932. He is a founder and a board member of Center for Housing CS in Belgrade. He holds a PhD degree from the University of Belgrade Faculty of Architecture.

Biography

Born on June 2, 1932, in Belgrade. Father Stevan, mother Olga Dinić. Graduated primary school and high school in Belgrade. Enrolled in the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade in 1951, graduated in June, 1957, with average note 9.45. Got master's degree in 1975, at the 5th graduate course “Town Planning” at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade, with the thesis “Functional Aspects of the Organization of Apartments and their Influence on the Formation of Apartment Structures”, got PhD degree in 1984, at the same faculty, with the thesis “Evaluation of Quality of Housing Construction and of Life in Apartments”. Got the title of Senior Scientific Fellow in 1985, and of Scientific Advisor in 1993. Passed the State Examination in 1962. Graduated the specialized course “Prefabricated Building Construction” in Paris, in 1967. Married with Dr. Nada Čanak, ecologist.. Son: Miloš, architect.
Employed in 1957 in the Institute for Testing Materials of Serbia, where he was Director of the Center for Housing during the period 1970-1986. In 1986, joined the Institute for Architecture and Town Planning of Serbia, Director of that Institute until 1988. Stayed in the Institute as Scientific Advisor until retirement in 1999.
Since 1991 he opened, in Belgrade, together with his son Milos Canak, the Bureau for Architectural Design Research and Education “ARD”.

Architectural design

During his design career, Čanak went through four basic stages, namely:
  • 1957/70, International Style and Industrial Modernism.
  • 1970/86, Late Modernism,
  • 1986/90, Neo-vernacular architecture and Post-Modernism.
  • from 1991, Neo-Modernism.
During the study, in 1953, Michael Čanak with four other colleagues and friends, founded the group "Belgrade 5". Many awards and more realizations marked the work of this group. This is also a first phase in the designing work of Michael Čanak, during which he will prove a vigorous supporter of functional minimalism, characteristic for the so-called, Industrial Modernism. This development phase, positioned between the Early Modernism, International style, and Late Modernism, without including the Postmodern experimentation, lasted up to 1970.. In the same period, along with planning activities, Čanak deals with scientific research in the field of housing quality.
The second phase in his designing opus is tied to the collaboration with architect Alexandar Djokić "with whom he thought in a similar manner, although their approaches were very different." This phase begins 1970th years, after winning 1st prizes at the competition for housing development Kijevo-Kneževac. Since then Čanak soothes his minimalism and turned to „Articulated late Modern“. In 1982, with P.Napijalo and D.Simić realized some housing group in the settlement "Bežanijska kosa" in Belgrade. In the same period Čanak become a master's degree, he received his doctorate, and received the title: Senior research associate. Since 1983 god. he organized and led "Preparatory course for the study of architecture", where pedagogical work gets a special place in the list of his professional activities. In the framework of scientific research, Čanak is actively involved in the issue of evaluating the quality of housing and residential construction, In the period 1970-87 he participated in the Working Group on Construction CEE UN as a member of the Yugoslav delegation. He suggested the international project "Evaluating the quality of housing", which was accepted and implemented.
The third phase of Čanak's design work began in 1986. and lasts until 1990. This is the period of his experimentation with so-called. Urban vernacular architecture.
In 1991, Čanak with his son Miloš opened a private office "ARD" and it is the beginning of the fourth phase in his designing opus. During that period Čanak returned to Neomodernism with some elements of Expressionism and Deconstruction. In 1993 he received the title of Scientific Adviser. After son's going abroad, Michael Čanak in their activities giving priority to pedagogical work. Laminated theoretical and practical knowledge, but also his exceptional pedagogical abilities have contributed to "ARD" exchange gain reputation not only among young people who have been directed to study architecture, but also to larger circles of professionals.

Public competitions and competitions on invitation (selection)

  • Medical centers in Croatia, Bosnia and Hercegovina 3rd and 4th prize, 1954.
  • Design for the Square of killed warriors in Čanak, 3rd prize, 1954.
  • Central zone of New Belgrade, 2nd increased prize and construction, 1958.
  • Complex of the automobile company “Vojvodina”, Novi Sad divided 1st prize,1959
  • Standard apartment buildings ZUKD Belgrade, 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize, 1960.
  • Block 29, New Belgrade, 1st prize, 1968.
  • Block 22, New Belgrade, 3rd prize, 1968.
  • Block 23, New Belgrade, 2nd prize, 1968.
  • Three housing towers near the railway station in Novi Sad, 2nd prize, 1968.
  • Area along the Vojvode Stepe Boulevard, Belgrade, 3rd prize, 1969.
  • Block 2 near the railway station, Novi Sad, 2nd increased prize, 1969
  • Housing settlement Kijevo-Kneževac, Belgrade 1971, etc.

Designs and constructions

  • Housing and auxiliary buildings in block 21, New Belgrade, appr. 1600 apartments, 1961/63.
  • Apartment buildings in the areas Liman 1&2, Novi Sad, appr. 920 apartments 1962-65
  • Apartment building in the housing area Slatina, Tuzla, appr. 200 apartments, 1965
  • Apartment buildings in blocks 45 and 70, New Belgrade, appr. 800 apartments, 1968/72
  • Apartment and auxiliary buildings in block 29, New Belgrade, 1100 apartments, 1970-72
  • Apartment buildings in block 2, near the railway station Novi Sad, appr. 800 apartments, 1969–72
  • Housing area Kijevo-Kneževac in Belgrade, appr. 6000 apartments, 1971-80.
  • Housing area Košutnjak in Belgrade, appr. 160 apartments 1981-83
  • Apartment buildings in block 57 Bežanija, Belgrade, 66 apartments, 1983–85
  • Apartment buildings in Bežanija, Belgrade 1st phase, 300 apartments, 1982–85
  • Apartment buildings in Cara Lazara street, Loznica, appr. 133 apartments, 1990–92
  • Farmers’ market in Banja Koviljača, 1990
  • Catalogue of standard individual apartment houses according to the “Ecodomus” system, 1992
  • Enlargement of a number of previously built apartment buildings, Novi Sad, 1997–99
  • Headquarters of the publishing house “Kreativni centar”, Belgrade 2000-2002.

Research work

While working at the Institute for Material Testing of Serbia, Čanak noted that many, then valid, principles in the design of dwellings are not sufficiently scientifically based, so that Čanak a part of its activities focused on scientific research in the field of habitology. In addition to several partial studies, his work is mainly focused in three directions:
  • The quality and usability of housing and residential buildings
  • Impact of structural systems in the utility value of dwellings and residential buildings
  • Quantitative evaluation of the quality of housing and residential construction..