Beton Hala Waterfornt Center is conceived as a fluid infrastructural landscape that stitches together the city of Belgrade, the Sava River embankment and the Kalemegdan hill. The project transforms the existing linear warehouse structure into a multimodal urban platform, combining commercial, cultural and leisure functions with public circulation. A sequence of white, shell‑like canopies defines a strong formal identity, echoing the motion of river waves while framing views toward the historic fortress and the opposite riverbank. Rather than a singular building, the center operates as a continuous urban ribbon, negotiating topography, traffic flows and waterfront activities into a cohesive architectural gesture.
The design reinforces the role of the waterfront as Belgrade’s civic living room, creating a generous, permeable interface between land and water. Commercial functions are interwoven with promenades, bicycle paths and public terraces, ensuring that the project serves both as destination and connector within the broader metropolitan fabric.
The scheme establishes a critical link between the upper city and the river level through a combination of ramps, elevated walkways and bridges. A new tram and vehicular viaduct passes above the complex, intersecting with pedestrian connections that descend to the commercial plinth and ascend toward Kalemegdan park. This stacked circulation hierarchy separates flows while maintaining visual continuity, allowing users to experience the river from multiple heights and perspectives.
Along the riverfront, a widened quay provides docking facilities for passenger boats and cruise ships, integrating the center into regional waterborne networks. The ground plane is kept as open and porous as possible, with covered arcades beneath the canopies offering shaded routes parallel to the water. This continuous loop encourages strolling and supports the retail and leisure program without compromising accessibility to existing piers and services.
The architectural expression is defined by a series of repetitive, arched roof shells that rise and fold to form a rhythmic skyline. These elements are conceived as lightweight steel or composite structures, spanning over column‑free interior spaces suitable for flexible commercial use. Their sculptural white surfaces emphasize horizontality along the river while producing dynamic sectional profiles toward the hill.
The shells are anchored into a robust concrete podium that reinterprets the industrial character of the original Beton Hala warehouses. Large glazed façades open the commercial interiors to the promenade, while deep overhangs and inclined façades moderate solar exposure. Viewed from the river, the alternating sequence of open bays and solid vaults creates a strong visual continuity, turning the center into a recognizable infrastructural landmark within Belgrade’s panorama.
The roofscape is treated as an accessible green topography, extending the park of Kalemegdan toward the water. Grassy mounds, planted surfaces and integrated seating form a series of belvederes, allowing visitors to overlook the river traffic and city skyline. The articulation of the roof into walkable terraces effectively doubles the usable public space, providing a continuous park‑bridge that can be enjoyed independently of the commercial program below.
At quay level, timber or composite decking, planting strips and small pavilions generate a warm, human‑scaled environment that softens the infrastructural context. Bicycles, joggers and pedestrians share a generous promenade, while occasional widened nodes host outdoor cafés, temporary markets or cultural events. This layering of green roof, intermediate deck and quay promenade produces a rich three‑dimensional public realm.
Sustainability is embedded through both passive and active measures. The extensive green roofs contribute to thermal insulation, reduction of heat‑island effect and on‑site rainwater retention. Their thickness and planting strategy are calibrated to improve microclimate along the embankment, providing evaporative cooling and shaded resting areas. Orientations of the shell forms promote natural cross‑ventilation of interior spaces, supported by operable façades facing the river breeze.
The project anticipates the integration of renewable energy systems, such as vertical‑axis wind turbines and photovoltaic panels placed on optimal roof segments. Daylighting is maximized through carefully positioned skylights and clerestory openings, reducing reliance on artificial lighting for the commercial interiors. Material choices emphasize durable, low‑maintenance finishes suitable for the riverfront environment, while the reuse and transformation of the existing Beton Hala footprint minimize excavation and embodied carbon. Together, these strategies position the center as a contemporary, resilient waterfront catalyst for Belgrade.
Beton Hala Waterfornt Center is conceived as a fluid infrastructural landscape that stitches together the city of Belgrade, the Sava River embankment and the Kalemegdan hill. The project transforms the existing linear warehouse structure into a multimodal urban platform, combining commercial, cultural and leisure functions with public circulation. A sequence of white, shell‑like canopies defines a strong formal identity, echoing the motion of river waves while framing views toward the historic fortress and the opposite riverbank. Rather than a singular building, the center operates as a continuous urban ribbon, negotiating topography, traffic flows and waterfront activities into a cohesive architectural gesture.
The design reinforces the role of the waterfront as Belgrade’s civic living room, creating a generous, permeable interface between land and water. Commercial functions are interwoven with promenades, bicycle paths and public terraces, ensuring that the project serves both as destination and connector within the broader metropolitan fabric.
The scheme establishes a critical link between the upper city and the river level through a combination of ramps, elevated walkways and bridges. A new tram and vehicular viaduct passes above the complex, intersecting with pedestrian connections that descend to the commercial plinth and ascend toward Kalemegdan park. This stacked circulation hierarchy separates flows while maintaining visual continuity, allowing users to experience the river from multiple heights and perspectives.
Along the riverfront, a widened quay provides docking facilities for passenger boats and cruise ships, integrating the center into regional waterborne networks. The ground plane is kept as open and porous as possible, with covered arcades beneath the canopies offering shaded routes parallel to the water. This continuous loop encourages strolling and supports the retail and leisure program without compromising accessibility to existing piers and services.
The architectural expression is defined by a series of repetitive, arched roof shells that rise and fold to form a rhythmic skyline. These elements are conceived as lightweight steel or composite structures, spanning over column‑free interior spaces suitable for flexible commercial use. Their sculptural white surfaces emphasize horizontality along the river while producing dynamic sectional profiles toward the hill.
The shells are anchored into a robust concrete podium that reinterprets the industrial character of the original Beton Hala warehouses. Large glazed façades open the commercial interiors to the promenade, while deep overhangs and inclined façades moderate solar exposure. Viewed from the river, the alternating sequence of open bays and solid vaults creates a strong visual continuity, turning the center into a recognizable infrastructural landmark within Belgrade’s panorama.
The roofscape is treated as an accessible green topography, extending the park of Kalemegdan toward the water. Grassy mounds, planted surfaces and integrated seating form a series of belvederes, allowing visitors to overlook the river traffic and city skyline. The articulation of the roof into walkable terraces effectively doubles the usable public space, providing a continuous park‑bridge that can be enjoyed independently of the commercial program below.
At quay level, timber or composite decking, planting strips and small pavilions generate a warm, human‑scaled environment that softens the infrastructural context. Bicycles, joggers and pedestrians share a generous promenade, while occasional widened nodes host outdoor cafés, temporary markets or cultural events. This layering of green roof, intermediate deck and quay promenade produces a rich three‑dimensional public realm.
Sustainability is embedded through both passive and active measures. The extensive green roofs contribute to thermal insulation, reduction of heat‑island effect and on‑site rainwater retention. Their thickness and planting strategy are calibrated to improve microclimate along the embankment, providing evaporative cooling and shaded resting areas. Orientations of the shell forms promote natural cross‑ventilation of interior spaces, supported by operable façades facing the river breeze.
The project anticipates the integration of renewable energy systems, such as vertical‑axis wind turbines and photovoltaic panels placed on optimal roof segments. Daylighting is maximized through carefully positioned skylights and clerestory openings, reducing reliance on artificial lighting for the commercial interiors. Material choices emphasize durable, low‑maintenance finishes suitable for the riverfront environment, while the reuse and transformation of the existing Beton Hala footprint minimize excavation and embodied carbon. Together, these strategies position the center as a contemporary, resilient waterfront catalyst for Belgrade.
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