Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro

Beton Hala Waterfront Center

OSA architettura e paesaggio, Serena Muccitelli, Piera Carcassi

The main idea of the project is to continue the Kalemegdan Park until the river creating a new large plain public space on the riverfront which can be used in everyday common activities but also for the several river and water related festivals and events. For this reason the building program is concentrated over and below the public space level leaving the park completely free. In this vision the Beton Hala has to be involved in an architectonical system and works as a facade of the new building and public space program.

The entire open space is intended as an urban park facing the river, according to the Belgrade’s way of life, living outdoor all year long and spending days and nights in public places on the water. The new park somehow continues the Kalemegdan park and constitutes a sort of arrival from all the paths coming down from the fortress. A new direct connection is designed from the hill to the river, starting with a long stairway like the Velike Stepenice, positioned in the slope, continuing through the building lobby and ending in the large urban steps getting to the river quay. This is the only transversal axe of the park which is instead developed all in a longitudinal way and it runs under the building. The most precious space of the project is the Beton Hala roof promenade, a unique space by the river designed for socialization with benches and direct connections with the river quay, it represents also the main pedestrian and cycling path.

The construction of a large artificial soil is made necessary by the high demand for parking, which requires two underground levels, the project uses this condition to put in the level just below the park a commercial system organized around four courts open spaces which are all connected, repaired and directly related to the park with stairs and elevators. The commercial system hosts also restaurants, galleries and clubs is at the same level of Beton Hala, in the near future when the train behind the Beton Hala will be disposed of the entire Beton Hala will be a door to access the shopping mall behind it.

To build a new river access to the city is necessary that the project gets to the river in a clear and recognizable way, as a new Landmark for Belgrade. For this reason, the building housing the exhibition features, cultural and recreational activities is a great building cantilevered over the river and that let the park passing beneath. Despite the large size it is a low building with a horizontal dimension that mainly interacts with the river landscape and does not interfere with the profile of the fortress. The building is conceived as a large beam that touches the ground in two points, this structural system allows a great flexibility for future modifications. Both the “feet” of the building are an opportunity to generate a collective space related with the park, the foot near Beton Hala is crossed by a large staircase, which connects the quay of the river with the park, the foot towards the Kalemegdan Park is a true multi-level atrium that connects all building levels from the commercial basement to the top floor of the building. At the first level of the building there are galleries with permanent expositions, offices, maintenance rooms and 500 mq lounge for temporary exhibitions overlooking the river, in the second level there are spaces for permanent exhibitions and other community services, bookshop, cafeteria, and a conference hall.

Europaconcorsi Beta

Beton Hala Waterfront Center