So, Gradnja.rs has become the most visited portal about architecture and construction in its 11 years of work. With an emphasis on well-realized examples from practice, the portal has become a place where the profession and the general public can be informed about the latest trends in the world of materials, construction and trends in architecture. After the launch of Mapa gradilište, where all new buildings in Serbia are located, the portal has become a place where investors, designers and buyers of apartments meet.
Belgrade - metropolis. One of the major capitals of Southeast Europe that can be proud of its large commercial and commercial buildings?
Not a week passes without us publishing some information about new business and commercial buildings in Belgrade on the portal. The largest number of buildings was actually detected in New Belgrade, where stronger infrastructure enabled faster communication and transfer. The attractiveness of this location for office buildings has encouraged investors to build premium-class residential buildings, so the 155-meter West 65 tower has sprung up.
In addition to apartment blocks 63, 44 and 70, the Delta City shopping center in Block 67 is being built, followed by Airport City and West 65 in Block 65. The highlight is the construction of a residential and business complex in Block 67a. However, in the heart of New Belgrade, in the most exclusive location, neglected factories IMT and FMO stood for a long time, which will soon be turned into a new business-residential center.
800,000 square meters of apartments and business space are now planned in this active space.
However, the business building that certainly stands out from the competition with its architecture is the Green Heart of Belgrade. Namely, the GTC Greenheart in Block 41a is a smart building that is wrapped in a membrane like a nest. Due to its attractiveness, it has become a real magnet for many foreign IT companies operating in Belgrade.
Recently, NCR Serbia opened its largest technological campus in Europe in Belgrade, which will employ more than 5,000 people. The new business center of this American company was built according to the highest standards of "smart construction" and covers 30,000 square meters. It can be said that the construction of office buildings is not slowing down and that it is not in sight that something will change in the near future.
For the last 10 years, something has been constantly being built in Belgrade, foreign investors are coming, why do you think that is the case?
Macroeconomic stability has attracted foreign investors, and in part our diaspora, to invest in Serbia. However, what has most influenced the construction of new facilities in Belgrade are large internal migrations. The centralization of the system has conditioned that all economic activities take place on the territory of Belgrade and possibly Novi Sad, to the detriment of the rest of Serbia. The villages in the interior remain empty because the youngsters are studying in the capital. For something like that, it is necessary to provide apartments and squares that will include the influx of new residents who will mostly stay there to live.
Tell us a bit more about the project - Belgrade on Water?
Belgrade on the water is a large infrastructure project located on the Sava. For a long time, no one had a solution for this prestigious location. There were numerous initiatives for Belgrade to go out on the river, but the profession and the ruling parties failed to agree on that. The realization of the project started with the infamous first steps more than five years ago, and Belgrade on the Water is now a huge settlement in which housing is mostly organized, in numerous buildings with dizzying apartment prices, and commercial facilities, most notably Gallery - Shopping Center on over 300,000 square feet. What gives value to the city is the promenade that allows fellow citizens to walk along the river. It is on this place that the tallest building in the capital is being built - Belgrade Tower - 168 meters high, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and which will be home to the first St Regis hotel in the region. However, the question arises as to how the city will come to life here, ie how the urban communication between the architectural and cultural heritage of old Belgrade and the new part of the city will be realized.
The real estate market in Serbia is booming, a lot is being invested in commercial real estate. Your comment?
The demand for renting premium business space in Belgrade is not waning. The reason for that is the growth of the number of IT companies that do not decide to buy space, but for a flexible business model. Although the Covid 19 pandemic has affected most of them working from home, many companies are slowly returning to their offices.
Are any new infrastructure projects being prepared in Belgrade? Do you have any knowledge about that?
The biggest infrastructure project that Belgrade expects is the construction of long-awaited subways. The draft plan for the general regulation of rail systems in Belgrade has been adopted, so the City of Belgrade recently announced a competition for the conceptual architectural solution and design of 16 metro stations on Line 1 of the Belgrade metro. Belgrade is the only capital in Europe whose population exceeds one million people and which does not have a metro. Everyone who drives a car in Belgrade knows that the subway is necessary. Admittedly, since the first and the road mentioned in the General Plan has been more than 70 years so around the metro there is a lot of story and little realization.
Also, a big project is the new National Stadium in Surcin, which should cost around 250 million euros. It will be built on a plot of about 32 ha in Surcin, it will have a capacity of 52,000 seats and the plan is to connect it with new roads, but also with the extension of the route of the BG train line, which is actually part of the future metro.
