(AG Real Estate) East Point's project in Dorćol, on the Danube : Old Mill

Investment capacities of Belgrade on its river banks are absolutely unemployed. If we argue about the Sava, then the ten-year-old story originating back in the late nineties of the last century about ’’the Sava Amphitheatre“ has been totally consumed and worn out by acknowledgement that the Belgrade railway junction with central railway station will not be relocated for a long time. Development of the area around the Sava shipyard has not yet broken the deadlock, at least not formally or seriously.

The story about the Danube is slightly clearer since large areas have been the issue of various debates for a long time. During this year’s MIPIM, the target and focus of three huge projects was that whole area. The quality of those presentations was generally assessed as very successful. Accordingly, it can be announced and confirmed with great certainity that development of this Danube bank is beginning as profoundly and in as many details as ever.

For a while, the story about the descent of Belgrade to its rivers has remained more or less an idle talk. Various debates on town planning and other issues evolved. Allegedly, were it some other city in the West with the geographic position such as Belgrade possesses, it would be a paradise in every aspect. However, in the last few years, particularly in the last six months, several events, either domestic or international, have pointed out that the investors, who use locations on the Danube river banks, seriously tend to develop the idea and concept of „the city’s descent to the river banks“. At least to the Danube bank.

One of these bright examples is ’’East Point Holdings“ Ltd who has commenced and intensly initiated urban and conceptual architectural and structural development at ’’Žitomlin“ location on the Danube bank at Dorćol. This is obviously the beginning of the development of this area which involves, either alongside or beside it, the areas of the Port of Belgrade and Rudnap’s localities in Višnjica. Altogether, these are innumberable, new, quality, functional and prestigious square meters.

The project of residential and business complex under the working name ’’Old Mill Site“ at the location of ’’Žitomlin“ at Dorćol is being developed according to the general design of ’’Slavija Bureau’’ from Belgrade. Apparently, near Dorćol Marine on one side and the Port of Belgrade complex development on the other side, it has a central position. It will be one of the future recognizability hallmarks of Belgrade’s descent to the Danube!

Project Location

The land where the ’’Old Mill Site’’ project will be executed is located on the very bank of the Danube, in the vicinity of the Belgrade fortress Kalemegdan, within a 15 minute walking distance from the city center and well connected with the city area by street network, local city railway, access junctions and possibility of using river transport. Old Mill Site location is a part of the industrial and river port complex along the Danube bank which will be revitalized and converted into a high quality city complex in the approaching years. Today, grain sylos, mill facilities and the city bakery are situated at the location. In the reconstruciton and urban recycling process they will be converted into a city quarter with residential, business, shopping, public services, green areas and other facilities necessary for functioning and life of the local population and employees.

The Concept of the ’’Old Mill Site’’ Project

At the plot that covers 3.8 hectares the project proposes reconstruction of the existing facilities of ’’Žitomlin’’ (the sylo and the mill buildings) at the very Danube bank into apartments and commercial space of high accomplishment and comfort that will cover the area of 48,500m2 at an exceptionally attractive place with open view to the river and the promenade along the Danube bank. Construction of two 20-floor high buildings with 52,400m2 of residential or office space has been proposed in the remaining part of the complex, whilst the central part of the site has been reserved for construciton of a few small-scale facilities, with up to 4 floors and a surface area of about 13,600m2 intended for public purposes. Total location capacity in revitalized and new facilities amounts to about 114,500m2. Construction of the garage space that will cover around 38,500m2 with about 1,500 parking places on the underground floors has also been foreseen.

Location is accessible from two directions via city streets connecting the complex with the city center thus providing very good communicativity and accessibility.

The contents and the purpose of the facilities within the complex have been designed flexibly and can be adjusted to the intentions of the investor and/or the needs of future users. It means that construction of various facilities within designed capacities will be available including residential and office space, retail stores varying from shopping malls to small-scope units, catering, hotels, services, public pedestrian areas and green areas, observing the recommendations from the Town Plan.

Future Facilities and Layout of the Old Mill

This venture includes four entities:

• Structure ’’A’’ – the existing sylos which will be reconstructed for luxurious living;
• Structure ’’B’’ – the existing mill which will be reconstructed and have a mixed purpose;
• Structure ’’C’’ – new multi-storey residential and office buildings, and
• The Piazzetta - Central square.

Structure ’’A’’ will be developed according to the optional residential solution ’’V01a’’, chosen on the grounds of the location quality evaluation as an exclusive environment for living. The opted choice is the high category housing concept with luxurious catering premises and exclusive shops on the ground floor level of the building. The author of this design got involved in a complicated, ungrateful and complex procedure of solving and designing apartments within the existing frame structure with non-standard combination of the existing constructive elements. Behind thus skillfully positioned morphology of the entire structure there is a serious procedure of facade materialization which is expected to give a final signature and hallmark to an exclusive architectural achievement, to the pride of the author, investors and Belgrade. This general design implies construction of an underground garage that will cover a total construction surface area of 6,600 m2 and provide parking places for 230 vehicles.

According to the author’s proposal, Structure ’’B’’ will have the following facilities:

• On the ground floor, a megamarket with ancillary premises, storage premises, cold storage, staff rooms, technical facilities, etc.
• I floor – accomodation of public service premises: post office, ambulance, dentist’s consulting room, dry cleaning, optical shops, and alike;
• II - IV floors - adaptable general purpose office space which can be partitioned easily and create a surface area according to buyers’ or tenants’ needs. Minimal surface area of a unit cell will be approximately 60 m2;
• V floor, the last floor of the facility has been designed for a luxuriously equipped amusement and sports-recreative center providing various facilities such as fitness, swimming pool, sauna (Finnish and steam), massage, hydromassage, tanning booth, bowling alley, computer games play room, with accompanying pub, cafe and similar contents. The entire V floor (exterior walls) will be glass covered, and the sliding roof is designed in the swimming pool zone opening out a fabulous view of the Danube.

Structure ’’A’ and Structure ’’B’’ will be connected via a pasarela on the ground level with smaller outlets – boutiques alongside as well as a fancy looking glazed pasarela ’’bridge’’ on the V floor level of Structure ’’B’’, where the aforementioned entertainment area has been designed.

Structure ’’C’’ is located at the southern part of the plot. It is expected to retain the conceptual design with a pedestal (P+3) and two towers with additional 16 floors above the third floor. The pedestal of the ground floor (P+3) is intended for construction of various purpose stores. The space from I-III floors is designed for business so that 1/3 of the area is dedicated to the apartment type, completely equipped interior, intended for renting. Individual units of the apartment type cover around 120 m2. The remaining 2/3 of the space is designed for traditional business, for sale of individual units in the form of adaptable office space which can be partitioned as per request. The proposed surface area of a unit cell will be approximately 100 m2.

In the towers, from IV to XXI floor, 1/3 of the space is designed as completely interior-equipped renting apartments with surface area of around 120 m2. The remaining part of the space, approximately 2/3, would be designed for traditional living. Small-sized apartments with less surface but not with lessened comfort and fit-out are foreseen from the fourth to the ninth floor. From the tenth to nineteenth floor the apartments will be in the fashion of those in Structure „A“.

The Piazzetta - Central square

In the central zone of the plot, forming of a square – piazzetta with a fountain, water area, that should refine the entire complex and partially compensate for the lack of the view to the river seems necessary. The piazzetta is not only to be regarded as an open square with a fountain and landscaping, but it is possible to surround it with stores, most probably of catering shops (cafes, pizza restaurants, coffee-bakery shops, bakeries), boutiques (popular and not only exclusivel ones) as well as the play ground for children. These facilities should be only on the ground floor.

Total Construction Capacity:

Plot surface area 3,8 hectares

Sylos Reconstruction 10 floors 32.500 m2

Mill Reconstruction 7 floors 16.000 m2

Total 1 48.500 m2

New Structure A 20 floors 26.200 m2

New Structure B 20 floors 26.200 m2

New Structure C 4 floors 13,600 m2

Total 2 66,000 m2