The GTC (Gradski Trgovski Centar) Shopping Center by Živko Popovski is located by the main square in Skopje and forms an essential transit route for the people who pass through the city center every day. This is facilitated by the fact that the concrete complex, built on 114,000 square meters, has numerous entrances and exits on all sides. The construction is also characterized by its structure with five levels and multi-layered terraces, all connected via several ramps. A deep, glazed atrium in the middle of the complex allows daylight to enter the interior space.

In recent years, the GTC building has been at the center of a debate: As part of the controversial Skopje 2014 project, the North Macedonian government planned to clad the brutalist façade of the building with neoclassical elements such as columns and domes. This led to strong protests, including a campaign by the Association of Macedonian Architects, which called for the original design to be preserved. 

“Skopje 2014” has been stopped by the new government in 2018 and the cladding plans were never realized. To this day, apart from a few signs of aging, the building has largely retained its original appearance and continues to operate as a shopping center (last updated on November 11, 2024).