Architect Aleksandar Smilevski wins "Andreja Damjanov" Life Achievement Award

Skopje, October 24 (MIA) – "Andreja Damjanov" Life Achievement Award in the field of Architecture and Construction for 2008 will be presented Friday evening to the architect Aleksandar Smilevski in St. Bogorodica Church in Skopje.

Macedonian Architects' Association will present 19th award and creative opus of the winner.

Smilevski (1939) belongs to the generation of architects, who were actively engaged in the reconstruction of Skopje following the 1963 earthquake. He graduated architecture at the Skopje University, worked in construction company "Beton," later appointed director of the Institute for Studies and Projection etc.

His achievements include building blocks in Skopje centre, high schools, buildings in Bitola and other municipalities, hotels, industrial facilities in Iraq, housing complexes in Ukraine, business premises in Russia etc.

"Andreja Damjanov" Award is named after the great Macedonian 19th century builder.

Andreja Damjanov (Papradiste, 1813 – Veles, 1878) was a Macedonian architect, considered one of the most eminent Balkan master-builders. His works include more than 40 buildings, most of them churches, for example, the church of St. Panteleimon in Veles (1840), the monastery church of St. Joachim of Osogovo, near Kriva Palanka (1845), The Holy Mother of God in the village of Novo Selo near Stip (1850) and St. Nicholas in Kumanovo (1851) as well as his churches in Nis, Nova Crkva, Mostar, and Sarajevo.