Client: Republic of Serbia – SERBIA CREATES
Lokacija: Belgrade
Tip objekta: Multifunctional Innovation center
Gross area: 13850m2
Design: 2021
Status: Competition
Autohors: Zabriskie + Studio Egret West, London, UK
Studio Egret West team: Christophe Egret, Freddie Jakson, Duncan Paybody, Deimante Bazyte, Han Hao
Zabriskie team: Milka Gnjato, d.i.a, Ivan Zuliani, m.i.a, Nemanja Ćurčić, d.i.a. Fedor Jurić, d.i.a. Ivan Šuić, d.i.a.
Zabriskie associates:
-3D renders / CGI: Factory Fifteen, London, UK
-Structural: Spasoje Derajić, dipl.inž.građ. Beging.
-Cost consulting: Mirjana Ćosić
Looking from the urbanistic, landscape and functional perspective, the complex of Ložionica (the locomotive repair shop), railway wheelhouse (turntable) and water tower was detached from its natural context, which is why it was dubbed a non-place. Despite all that, there is a certain spatial and powerful authenticity to the way Ložionica stands in its surroundings. Drawing on that sort of pride, we have established 5 main design principles in order to make a turn, or transform the complex into a desirable place.
These principles secured an easy-to-understand urbanistic gesture based on space and functionality, for the purpose of generating an inspiring environment for Belgrade’s creative industries, spreading the wave of powerful influence to the rest of Serbia.
In order to create a family of structures with a clear identity and achieve symbiosis of old and new, a new business center is positioned at the center of the complex, above the old railway turntable – to achieve an intimate and unique entity, through the dynamics of the relation between the industry and high-tech.
By placing the annex building at the very center of the turntable, not only did we establish a landmark, but also created a link where the building of Ložionica forms a new hotspot, celebrating the circular nature of the location’s center.
New hotspot celebrates the legacy of the place – the history of the energy of motion, by a symbolic takeover of rotating locomotives and their spiraling up into a kinetic structure.
An interesting rooftop surface above the space that can be used as a terrace, simultaneously presents an impressive arched square that links the old structure to the new one. This design makes it suitable for various open air events.
The landscape based approach assumes geometry of the lost widths, and treats the areas under the connecting roads of the bridge as a park. A planned scattering of red pavilions across the park is initiated; they look as if they have just left the wheelhouse, each serving a particular purpose as an integral part of the landscape.
