Dorćol Centar

The site lies in the historic core of Belgrade, within the boundaries of a spatial cultural-historical ensemble that is the material testimony of a city two millennia old. The ensemble has cultural-historical, urban, architectural, aesthetic, social, sociological and intangible values. Its basic qualities are urban continuity and a street grid and building stock preserved for more than a century and a half, which shows its undisputed urban value. Regular blocks with perimeter buildings and green spaces inside the block are an important feature of the core. The block in question, intended for housing, has largely kept its original form to this day.

Within the ensemble it belongs to, the site is subject to general protection measures: preserving the historic matrix of the block, preserving perimeter building on the plot as the inherited type of construction, and connecting to the existing buildings being reconstructed so that a free inner courtyard, typical of the city centre, is formed inside the block.

The corner position of the designed building, besides emphasising its architecture and volume, finally defines the block it belongs to (the block between Cara Dušana, Dubrovačka, Skender begova and Knićaninova streets). The reconstruction and extension of the existing buildings aims to preserve a compact block with perimeter building while improving the conditions for using the existing buildings. Accordingly, with the defined measures of technical protection and in keeping with the immediate surroundings and the special protection measures, the interpolation of the extended parts was aligned with the height regulation given by the urban conditions, and with the characteristic corner position and the relationship to the immediate surroundings.

The existing buildings at Skender begova 12 and 14 were valued as buildings of special value: they were reconstructed and extended upwards in line with the technical protection measures set for them, and with the existing architectural, structural and functional layout of the designed building, as befits the historic context.

The designed extension forms a building that is structurally divided into two lamellas — along Cara Dušana and along Skender begova — with the façades of both lamellas joined towards Knićaninova street, and with a single underground garage on three underground levels, reached by two two-way ramps from Knićaninova street. Both lamellas and the reconstructed buildings hold 107 apartments of different structure, organised around four residential entrances (two from Cara Dušana and two from Skender begova) on the upper floors; the ground floor and the gallery hold continuous commercial space. Eleven commercial units in total were designed, with direct access from Cara Dušana, Knićaninova and Skender begova streets.

Three underground levels, a ground floor, a gallery, four upper floors and a setback floor were designed, with access to a roof terrace from part of the apartments. The building has an area of 24,000 m². Its materials combine classic materials with contemporary solutions.