The life of this building on many levels portrays dramatic social and political fractures of the city which oftentimes have used the public space to make clear its identitarian struggles. Designed in 1927 by Andrija Kramer, it is considered as one of the few to survive the radical transformations of Pristina. Stylistically influenced by Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Baroque and Art Nouveau, the building changed its name and function several times. At first, it was called Hotel Nacional, and not only it was a guesthouse but a cinema too. During the Second World War, it was named Scanderbeg, while after the war it was known as Nova Jugoslavia. The last name by which the building is known is Hotel Union.
In 2008, there were attempts to demolish the hotel under the pretense that the building holds no architectural values and should make space for Ibrahim Rugova Boulevard. This reasoning revolted the citizens who protested the destruction of the building and demanded institutional protection of the building. In 2009, the building was burned down for reasons which remain unexplained. A year later, the Kosovo Council for Cultural Heritage let the citizens know about the agreement with The United Colors of Benetton, promising the building’s restoration to its previous condition, a promise which was kept partially. Today, regardless that it was privatised and serves as a shopping center, the citizens continue to refer to it as Union.