The FIS Building is a historic sports and cultural facility located on Mis Irbina Street, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Constructed in 1936, it was originally built as a Sokol House (Sokolski dom) for the Sokol movement, a Slavic gymnastics organization promoting physical fitness and national consciousness. Over the decades, the building has served a variety of functions and remains a symbol of Sarajevo's athletic and civic life. [1]
The land for the FIS Building was allocated to the Sokol Society "Matica" of Sarajevo by the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on 3 August 1932. The building was erected on a 2,860 m² plot at the corner of Mis Irbijeve and Benevolencije streets. It was designed by Zagreb-based architects Hinko Bauer and Marijan Haberle and completed in 1936 as a regional center for physical education and social activities. [2][3]
During the period of socialist Yugoslavia, the building was nationalized and renamed the DTV Partizan building. DTV stood for Državno tjelesno vaspitanje (State Physical Education), and the facility continued to host a wide range of athletic, educational, and cultural events under this new socialist framework. [4]
Architectural significance
The FIS Building is regarded as a significant example of interwar modernist architecture in Sarajevo. Designed in the modernist-functional style by architects Hinko Bauer and Marijan Haberle, it reflects the rationalist and utilitarian aesthetic typical of Sokol Halls in Central and Southeastern Europe.[5] The building's composition emphasizes clean lines, symmetry, and functional use of space. Its modernist design places it among the most important architectural examples of its time in Sarajevo, alongside other public buildings of the 1930s. [6]
Office and meeting rooms for sports and cultural organizations
Outdoor recreational area
Contemporary use
Today, the FIS Building operates under the management of the JU Centar za sport i rekreaciju Sarajevo (Public Institution Center for Sport and Recreation Sarajevo), a public institution responsible for the administration and maintenance of several sports and recreational facilities across the city. The building continues to serve as an important hub for community-based physical activity and organized sport, hosting a wide range of recreational programs, fitness classes, and sports training sessions for both youth and adults.[11]
As part of its ongoing mission, the institution seeks to preserve the historical and cultural legacy of the building while adapting its use to meet contemporary needs in public health, education, and sports development. In recent years, the facility has been revitalized to include modern equipment and has remained accessible to local schools, clubs, and citizens.[12]
The JU Centar za sport i rekreaciju also emphasizes the role of the FIS Building in promoting inclusive sport and social cohesion, reinforcing its symbolic importance within Sarajevo’s urban and civic landscape.[13]
Connection to FK Sarajevo
A memorial plaque on the FIS building marks the location where FK Sarajevo was founded.
On 24 October 1946, the FIS Building became the birthplace of FK Sarajevo, one of the country's most prominent football clubs. The merger between the sports societies "Sloboda" and "Udarnik" took place in the main hall of the building, forming a new club initially called "Torpedo," which was later renamed FK Sarajevo in 1947.[14]
Location
The building is located in the central neighborhood of Marijin Dvor in Sarajevo, not far from the city's historical and governmental landmarks. Its location made it a key gathering point throughout the 20th century.[15]
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