Ensemble of folk dances and songs of Serbia

•

Follow All Following All Unfollow All

ENSEMBLE OF FOLK DANCES AND SONGS OF SERBIA

Open Design Competition

3rd prize

Belgrade, Serbia

y=2019.

Context

On a macro scale, the given site is a physical collision of urban archaeology, landscape elements and big infrastructures amidst a rapidly transforming metropolis, morphologically and metaphorically, challenging the urban culture of the XXI century. The micro scale of the competition plot is defined by the remains of the old “djumurkana”, the sliced hill and close proximity of the river bank aligned to the Karadjordjeva street, in a neighborhood full of buildings marked as cultural heritage. Specific features of the site in relation to the plot are the “large stairs” serving as direct link between the two streets, the newly opened walking promenade tangenting the backside of the parcel, and culminating with breathtaking views towards New Belgrade and Branko bridge. The position itself will influence Belgrade’s image of the city. The dimensions of the plots also challenge conventional design methodologies of theater building typologies, given that, traditionally, such structures would graciously spread across the horizontal plane instead of vertical stacking. In addition to this, the building must also infuse the relic of the old djumurkana, pay tribute to the urban heritage, coexist between the hill and the riverbank and demonstrate contemporary architectural features.

Concept /building/

The concept derives from the reintroduction of the arc as the main driver for the formation of space, both inside and out. Not only does it represent the image of the old dzumurkana, but also represents arc’s continuity in the traditional Serbian architecture, ranging from rural Moravian houses to the various gems of Serbian sacral architecture. As such, it compliments the scenario of the site’s catalogue of built heritage. In terms of architectural formation, the building is divided in two parts: poetic and pragmatic space. In the first, the great stage is positioned normally to the Karadjordjeva axis, protruding the tectonic of the auditorium as a sculpted element inside the foyer. The foyer, therefore, represents the fusion of all the specific elements of the building. A public arcaded patio flows from the sidewalk into its ground floor, inhibiting more of the public realm. A composition of various intersecting arc and volute typologies, different in height, material and usage (constructive, permeable or decorative), define a highly complex and exciting space. This hot spot connects with the main stage in multiple floors such as with the multipurpose hall, ballet room, museum and the roof garden (hortus ludi). The roof is a planar continuation of the hill, defining its own geometry with a set of artificial landscape elements(hortus ludi); slopes, amphitheater, summer stage, balconies and gardens. The facade is a responsive plane connecting geometry with structure, space and programme; The backdrop of the building, the pragmatic space, defines the functional schema of the ensemble. It represents the skeleton which provides smooth function and space distribution which enables optimal performance of the ensemble, both in everyday usage and nights of spectacle.

Concept /urbanism/

The two zones given in the competition define a large piece of missing territory in the composition of the Kosanscicev venac hill assemblage. One defined with the ensemble of national folklore dance and hymns, introduces the way for another cultural building to fill the void. The void, therefore, acts metaphorically as the inversion of the prompt extruded element of the ensemble; the theater tower. In the sense, the image of the other building becomes an inverse figure of tower, an open circular atrium touch the ground floor. The new proposed program for the building is a museum of digital art and media library. This building pays tribute to the bombarded national library during the WW2 in close proximity to the site. Both building are normed and schematic structure yet they differ from one another. Tectonic opposed to glimmer, tower opposed to atrium, square opposed to circle, arch opposed to orthogonal, traditional opposed to contemporary.

authors: Tijana Mackic, Nikola Gjorgievski, Dusan Nikolic, Milos Jokic

contributors: Milan Savovic, Stefan Ilic