The old Court Palace was built between 1881 and 1884, after the design by architect Aleksandar Bugarski, as a private and official residence of Milan Obrenović, who was crowned the King of Serbia in 1882. Initially it was conceived as one wing of the future large court complex in which the central part, planned for private royal chambers, was turned towards Kralja Milana Street, the left wing had ceremonial functions and the right was meant as premises of the heir.
With its four façades designed in academic style and decorative elements taken over from the renaissance and baroque architecture is one of the most significant architectural creations from the late nineteenth century within the limits of the style it belongs to. The main entrance with a porch is turned towards the park that makes up a whole with the palace complex. The raised basement with oblong windows was built in rustically cut stone squares, the façades have dynamic porticos, Doric columns and arched window apertures, caryatids, griffons and other sculptural motifs. At the western corner of the house there is a polygonal dome that extends into a spire with the crowned two-headed eagle on top. The interior of the building was designed in accordance with its function. In the central area there was a conservatory stretching through the ground and first floors and covered with a glass roof. Its doors lead to all of the surrounding rooms. The most interesting motif was the ceremonial double staircase with a canopy. Turned towards the gardens, the present day park, was the ceremonial hall with the salons. A library with over ten thousand books and the court chapel were on the first floor, together with other rooms.The interior decoration of the Old Court palace was cared for by the members of a commission comprising the architect Aleksandar Bugarski, professor of the College Mihailo Valtrović and painter Domenico d’Andrea. The Old Court palace inaugurated the complex of court buildings. The original appearance of the building has been changed in time, but the basic relations have been preserved.
The Court Palace was considerable damaged in World War I and it’s extensive reconstruction and restoration was done in 1922. The building was partially ruined in the bombing of Belgrade in 1941, and was repaired soon after the war. The reconstruction of building was completed immediately after the World War II, according the project of the architects Dragiša Brašovan, Milan Minić, Aleksandar Djordjević. On that occasion, two of the three original dome were removed, while the facade toward the Kralja Aleksandra Boulevard was significantly changed. The last reconstraction of the building was in 1997. Today, the building of the Old Palace is the City of Belgrade.

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