Banski Dvor

In 1998 Banski Dvor officially became a public cultural institution and nowadays is the most important cultural center of the city of Banja Luka and the Serb Republic with of thousand of visitors per year. Every year it holds hundreds of events, notable for their high number and variety: concerts, exhibitions of local and foreign artists, book presentations, roundtables and it cooperates with the realizations of important happenings and festivals of the city. Until the reconstruction of the Palace of Republika Srpska, in 2008, it served as the seat of the President of Republika Srpska of Bosnia.

When the Vrbas Banate was formed in 1929, the first Ban was Svetislav Tisa Milosavljević and he felt the need to build a representative seat. In early 1931, the competition was announced in Belgrade and Sarajevo's National newspapers, for the conceptual sketch of Ban’s Court (Banski Dvor) and Ban's Palace (Banski Palat), and the first award was received by the architects from Belgrade Jovanka Bončić-Katerinić, Anđelija Pavlovic and John G. Rankovic. The major work was awarded to the construction company Kosta Šijački from Belgrade, under the direction of the young architect Branko Jovanović, while the artistic design of the facade and the interiors was led by the sculptor and academician Đorđe Jovanović. The works on Banski Dvor began in March 1931, while the official opening of the building was on 8 November 1932. Bans court had rooms for meetings, conference rooms, a hall, flat ban with the apartment for important visitors, the room heating, kitchen, toilets, dressing rooms and other spaces.

In the lower zones of the building is dominated by a Renaissance influence and academic classicism and medieval architecture elements are present in higher zones. Important place belongs to the folk elements of the Balkan Peninsula.

After the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995, in accordance with the provisions of Annex General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the provisions of the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Banski Dvor enjoys the status of a national monument, one of the most important for Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition to the exceptional architectural value, this monument of architectural heritage partially preserved authentic inner spaces, decoration and furniture. Originally preserved interiors are inseparable cultural, historical and aesthetic whole with overall architectural values of the building. As a unique monument of representative interior design from the beginning of the fourth decade of the 20th century, the work of well-known and in its time highly regarded creators - decorators - because of its authentic values, aesthetic and stylistic homogeneity, which is the reflection of this period in the history of art and valuable documentation of it, because of its relatively high degree of preservation in relation to the original state, as well as because of the threat expressed in actual and possible changes arising from the use, it is necessary to do detailed scientific research of the interiors and its authentic furniture, and present it to the wider professional audience and to the public, and in that way ensure the preservation of these excellent examples of applied art of its time.

The palace was used as residence for the Ban of Vrbas Banovina until 1941. During World War II the interior was destroyed, and most of expensive furniture, paintings and other objects irretrievably lost. After the war, the house was used as a military and political center. Since 1955, the decision passed by the then city authorities, the building was given to the management of the House of Culture. The establishment of the Serb Republic 9 January 1992, Ban's Palace became the seat of the president. And in 1998 officially became a public cultural institution called the Cultural Centre Banski Dvor.