According to the competition jury, one of two winning proposals for the Beton Hala Center, designed by ARCVS Studio distinguished itself from other entries “by offering a simple, but refined complexity”. The design addresses the most relevant programmatic and environmental requirements, accentuating its attitude towards historical significance and fortification iconography of the Kalemegdan Fortress. By simply underlying the skyline of Kalemegdan and expressing its autonomous visual qualities through colorful articulation of the fifth façade, the proposal can be interpreted as a strong statement of constraint and thoughtfulness.

The pedestrian communications offer a variety of commercial and cultural spaces, connecting the Fortress with the lower terrace plateau. Further on, large stair brings pedestrians to the waterfront, embedding it into the urban fabric of Belgrade. With careful attention to visual trajectories and by avoiding the disruption of existing traffic flows, the design achieves a high degree of flexibility and reclaims the Sava River as a long neglected part of the city. From every point along the pedestrian paths it is possible to overview all the bridges over the river, The Museum of Contemporary Arts and Mestrovic’s ‘Victor’ monument. The proposal takes into account the financial feasibility by creating a clean-cut structure “which invites and accepts evolution and healthy change”.

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