Winning Design for Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall Selected (PHOTO)

Amanda Levete Architects (AL_A) from London is the winner of the contest for the preliminary design of the Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall, which, at the request of the Government of Serbia, was organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

AL_A is an award-winning architectural studio which was founded by the architect Amanda Levete, a winner of the British award RIBA Stirling. AL_A is led by an international team which includes landscaping engineers of the company VDLA (Van Dyke Landscape Architects, Inc.), engineers of the Portuguese company AFA Consult and local architects of the Belgrade studio Zabriskie, whereas Arup continues playing its role in the domain of acoustic design.

Amanda Levete, the direct of AL_A, says that the concert hall will be an expression of the harmony between nature, architecture and music, at the pivotal point in Europe where the East and the West meet:

– This will be a place where people from all areas and cultures, of all ages and skills, will gather to enjoy music of all genres.

Further clarifying the concept, she pointed out that, more than ever, it was important to loosen the tension between the nature and cities:

– The way we’re doing it here is by conceiving of the Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall as an expression of harmony, a balance between the building and the natural space, between the east and the west, between the old and the new, between generations and between cultures.

The Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall consists of four main spatial wholes: the grand concert hall, the recital hall, the creative center and the stage, each with a different character, celebrating various music genres, attracting a variety of audiences and inciting various activities. These four spatial units surround the social space which comprises the heart of the Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall, with joint auxiliary rooms located beneath the newly created city square.

As the next step, the AL_A team will work on preparing the technical documentation, which is split into three phases, in line with the Law of the Republic of Serbia on Construction and Planning, as said on the website of the Belgrade Philharmonic.

The future Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall will be unique in the Balkans, designed in line with the best international practice, as said on the UNDP website. The facility will feature various spaces for performances, rehearsals and creative performances, including a symphonic concert hall with 1,600 audience seats and 400 spots for the orchestra and the choir.

– The UNDP aims for the project of the Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall to contribute to the social, economic and environmental development of the country – it is added.

The planned location of the facility is in New Belgrade, next to the Palace of Serbia, in Block 13, it is said on the website of the Belgrade Philharmonic.

The Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall is the biggest cultural investment in the region in decades. Located next to the historic Palace of Serbia in New Belgrade, the project represents a great dedication to the building of a brighter, more sustainable future of the city, in line with the vision of Ivan Tasovac, it is added.

Zabriskie doo Beograd

Vlada Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo kulture Republike Srbije

Ministarstvo za javna ulaganja Republike Srbije

Grad Beograd

UNDP Beograd

Amanda Levete Architects

VDLA

Van Dyke Landscape Architects Inc

AFA Consult

Zabriskie

Arup

Bevk Perovic arhitekti

Estudio Lamela

Diller Scofidio plus Renfro

MVRDV

Snohetta Oslo

United Nations Development Program

Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall

Belgrade Philharmonic

Darko Krstić

Amanda Levete

Ivan Tasovac

contest for the preliminary design of the Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall

performances

rehearsals

creative performances

symphonic concert hall

acoustic design