Competition Brief (2)

7/28/2019 Competition Brief (2)

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BETON HALAWATERFRONT CENTER

C o m p et i t i o n B r i e f


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BETON HALA WATERFRONT CENTER, BELGRADE

COMPETITION BRIEF 2

INVITATION

The City of Belgrade is launching an international

one-stage architectural competition to design theBeton Hala Waterfront Center in Belgrade. TheWaterfront Center is envisioned as the principalnew access point from the capitals riverfront toits historic core, and a contemporary architecturalanchor point for a vibrant pedestrian zone in one ofthe citys oldest continually inhabited parts.

PROJECT VISION

The competition site, the Sava River waterfront, isa remarkable area of Belgrade, economically andstrategically significant since the founding of the cityand historically one of its most represented images.The waterfront today has a unique potential tobecome the principal pedestrian link between thehistoric city center and the River Sava, both for thetourists arriving to Belgrade by boat and for the city

dwellers.

The successful proposal for the Waterfront Centershould resolve the conflicting traffic claims on thesite and provide a solution for the physical barriersbetween the port and the Belgrade Fortress, takinginto account the historic and cultural significanceof the city fortifications. The design should presenta contemporary urban hinge between the cityshistoric heritage and its present-day developments.

View of the project site

Kalemegdan Fortress and Sava Port seen from New Belgrade


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COMPETITION BRIEF 3

It is expected that the Beton Hala Waterfront Centerwill become:

An increasingly dynamic urban node with awide-ranging offer of cultural, gastronomic andentertainment activities

A reference point for the local and foreign visitors a superb place to start a visit to Belgrade, with aneasy access to information about the city venuesand events, as well as a place to conclude the visit,enjoying the wide range of activities on site and themagnificent views

An imperative city-destination both for its dailyactivities and its vibrant night-life; a place to feelthe traditional Serbian hospitality and the hedonistic

nature of Belgrades tourist offer A clear physical and visual connector of the cityspast and present; a mediating urban elementbringing together the Sava river bank, the BelgradeFortress and the pedestrian Knez Mihailova street.

With a design based on the principles ofsustainability, Beton Hala Waterfront Center should

be architecturally outstanding, matching in qualityone of the citys most iconic faades. Beton Hala: view from the water

Old Belgrade


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COMPETITION BRIEF 4

BACKGROUND

Site and context

Belgrade is the capital of the Republic of Serbia, itsadministrative, economic and cultural centre with apopulation of nearly 1.7 million.

Founded at confluence of the Danube and Sava

rivers, Belgrade is one of Europes oldest capitals.European Corridors 7 (the Danube River) and 10(road and rail), connecting Western Europe with theMiddle East, pass through the city. The city centeris characterized by a hilly terrain which graduallydescends towards the north.

Competition site is located at the base of theBelgrade Fortress and Kalemegdan Park, alongthe Sava river bank. The site limits run along theKalemegdan plateau edge (at 112m above the sealevel), along the streets Vojvode Bojovica Boulevardand Karadjordjeva, and along the Sava river.

The site is adjacent to the Sava passenger port,which, together with the former port storage space todays creative hub popularly known as Beton

Hala, presents nowadays one of the most popularspots of the waterfront.

Every year the port hosts around 400 cruise shipscoming from European capitals along the Danubeand bringing nearly 50.000 tourists from Europe andthe U.S. to the city. There are several river and waterrelated festivals and events organized here duringthe tourist season, such as Belgrade Boat Festival,

Days of Danube, Belgrade Tango Marathon, etc.Position of the project site in Belgrade


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COMPETITION BRIEF 5

Beton Hala attracts various social groups day andnight long, all over the year, with its restaurants,galleries, shops and clubs. People walking or cycling

along the river bank are passing by this place all daylong.On the opposite side of the site, Kalemegdan Parkis spatially determined by the presence of theBelgrade Fortress and Kosancicev Venac one ofthe oldest historic city parts, known for its uniqueurban environment, old city houses, artistic galleriesand small restaurants.

The unique presence of historic and naturalelements on the site makes it one of the mostimportant elements of Belgrades historic andcultural heritage.

The City of Belgrade has applied to becomethe European Capital of Culture in 2020. More

information about the application can be found atwww.beograd2020.com. A high quality image of thecity panorama is available at the same web address.Other panoramic images of the city are available athttp://www.rollmaps.com/Serbia/Belgrade.11.html?gid=21.

Project site limits


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COMPETITION BRIEF 6

Belgrade fort ress and Kalemegdan Park

The walled complex of the Belgrade Fortressconstitutes the oldest Belgrade settlement. It wasfirst built in the I century as a Roman castrum; laterit became the antic Singidunum and the Slavic

Beograd. Today the Fortress is an open-air museumof Belgrades history, comprising the zones ofGornji and Donji Grad (Upper and Lower town) andKalemegdan Park which was first developed in the1870s.

The fortification was expanded towards the

waterfront in the beginning of 14th century. In thatperiod, Belgrade became the new center of theSerbian state; the city expanded and solidified thefortifications of Gornji and Donji grad, and developeda military harbor on the Sava River.

Belgrade panorama 1788 engraving

Aerial view of the site and Kalemegdan Park


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COMPETITION BRIEF 7

After the Turkish conquests in 16th century the

Fortress has not been developed further and it isonly during the Austrian occupation 1717-39 that thefortress has been modernized and turned into oneof the soundest military strongholds in Europe. Inthis period, the medieval walls have been expandedalong the rivers Sava and Danube according to thebaroque fortification principles. A deep moat ranalong the entire length of the walls, and the accessto the City Gates was possible only across the

bridges.

The historic development of the Fortress ends in1867, when it was officially transferred to the Serbs;the last time it was used as a military fortificationwas during the World War I. Today, the Fortress isa historical and cultural monument, spatially andfunctionally integrated with the Kalemegdan publicpark.


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COMPETITION BRIEF 8

Kosancicev venac

Kosancicev venac is the oldest compact Serbiansettlement on the territory of Belgrade outside the

Fortress, with a preserved network of old streets andstreet facades, tree rows, historic houses and publicbuildings that document the historic developmentsof the city since the beginning of XVIII century. Thecontinuous presence of the first institutions of therenewed Serbian state gives this area a strongvisual, historic and cultural importance. Kosancicevvenac includes parts of the old town (Varos)developed on the slopes near the Sava River witha center near the Cathedral Church of St. Michael(Saborna crkva), and the riverbank near the port.

The River Sava Port

During the Middle Ages, Belgrade had two separateports on the Danube and Sava rivers. The Sava portwas commercial at first; it became a military port in

the XV century, while during the Turkish rule it wasused as the winter storage for ships.

With the renewal of the Serbian state in the beginningof XIX century, the Sava port regained its economicsignificance and became the main Serbian port forinternational trade. The zone around the port wasquickly built up along todays Karadjordjeva Street,and it included the customs building Djumurkana

and various warehouses.

The first ideas to add passenger docks to the Savaport date from the 1920s, but it was only in themid 1930s that the revision activities began. Theworks included the adaptation of the customs, thepassenger docks and the cargo port.

Sava Port and Kalemegdan 1936

Sava Port historic photographSava Port historic photograph


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COMPETITION BRIEF 9

Beton Hala

Beton Hala was built between 1936 and 1937 as apart of the overall adaptation works in and around

the Sava port. It is a simple, unobtrusive modernistwarehouse building, slightly arched and raised1m above the wharf level. It is about 25m wideand 330m long, built in reinforced concrete withcolumn spacing of approximately 5.5m and the slabthickness of approximately 20cm.The exterior rowof columns forms a portico on the river side. Theback side of the building leans on the reinforcedconcrete structure of the railway tunnel. A numberof cranes used to serve the building; today only oneof those is preserved.

Besides the Kapetanija building in KaradjordjevaStreet, Beton Hala is the only preserved builtevidence of the continuous, over a century longport activity. As the only preserved port buildingfrom the period between the two World Wars, Beton

Hala represents an important part of the industrialheritage of Belgrade. Its position and dimensionsmake a significant impact on the panorama of thecity.

Beton Hala under construction Beton Hala under construction

Beton Hala today


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COMPETITION BRIEF 10

Traffic

Three streets connect the site to the rest of thecity: Karadjordjeva, Vojvode Bojovica Boulevard

(both main roads open to heavy and freight traffic)and Pariska (city road). The daily traffic throughKaradjordjeva Street alone is 25-30.000 vehiclesa day in both directions, with roughly 75% ofpassenger, 20% freight and 5% of other types oftraffic.

The only means of accessing the site from thecity by public transportation is tram. The tram lineterminus between the existing Beton Hala andVojvode Bojovica Boulevard includes tram stops forboth travel directions.

Some designated parking spaces exist around thesite, near the port and the existing Beton Hala.Since this is a highly popular and intensely usedpublic space in Belgrade, the lack of available

parking spots results in cars being parked acrossthe pedestrian and bicycling paths.

(Velikestepenice

)


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Bicycle paths exist along the riverbanks of theDanube and Sava Rivers and run as far as theisland of Ada Ciganlija.

Pedestrian ways around the site often intersectwith the motorway and rail traffic, which makes thepedestrian movement difficult and often unsafe.

Historically, two main pedestrian connectorsbetween the river and the center of the city havebeen the Grand Steps (Velike stepenice) and theMinor Steps (Male stepenice). These pedestrianstreets are not part of the project site; however, theygive an idea of how pedestrian access has beenachieved in the past.

A double-track railway runs between KaradjordjevaStreet and the pedestrian path along the waterfront,connecting the two city train stations. This railroad ismostly used for freight trains in transit.

Bicycle paths in Belgrade: existing and planned

Tram terminus on site

Railway tracks on siteGrand Steps (Velike stepenice)


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Geotechnical condit ions

The lowest section of the project site belongs to thefirst alluvial terrace of the Sava River, with a terrain

level of 75.8-77.9m above the sea level. Beforebuildings were constructed here, the area waspartially covered in marshes and small ponds.

The highest part of the site lies on the second alluvialterrace at 95-115m above the sea level. It is slightlysloped towards north and covered with 3-5m offill.

The two terraces are connected through a steeplimestone escarpment of Kalemegdan Hill. Thislimestone slope spreads all the way to the BrankovBridge (Brankov most), with a terrain level rangingfrom 78m at the base to 110m at the top.

The ground water level in the lowest section of thesite (Zone 1 in the diagram) is at 7-8m below theterrain surface, i.e. 69m-71m above the sea level.

In the area closer to the limestone slope (Zone 2)the ground water level is at 6-8m below the surfaceand the ground water is hydraulically connected tothe river. Area marked as Zone 3 in the diagramconsists of a deep and partially unstable layer offillabove the limestone bedrock. This layer offill is notsuitable for foundations for stability reasons anyfoundations planned here must reach the bedrock.

Buildings on this site need to be designed to resistearthquakes of VIIICS. As a part of the buildingsite preparation, the layer of land fill should beremoved, making sure that the remaining materialis stabilized.

Drainage and hydroisolation around the newbuilding(s) will be necessary. Landscaping ofthe rest of the site should include separation and

stabilization of the existing fill.Geotechnical conditions: diagram

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3


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Exhibition in the open: Kalemegdan ParkNight time around Beton Hala

Climate

Belgrade has a moderate continental climate, withfour seasons and uniformly spread precipitation.The year-round average temperature is 11.7 C(53.1 F), while the hottest month is July, with anaverage temperature of 22.1 C (71.8 F). Thereare, on average, 95 days a year with temperaturesabove 25 C.

Belgrade receives about 700 millimeters (27.56 in)

of precipitation a year. The sunniest months are Julyand August, while December and January are thegloomiest, with an average of 22.3 sunny hours aday.

Belgrade lives outdoors all year long; the populationis spending days and nights in public places, onthe water rivers or lake Ada Ciganlija -- whichgives the city and especially the competition site thequality of a vivid, vibrant and social place open tonew attractions and events.

Belgrade Boat Festival


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COMPETITION REQUIREMENTS

General Conditions and Requirements

Due to particular natural, historic and culturalimportance of the competition site, the urbanplanning conditions for the city of Belgrade requirethat all planning and design activities in this areashould:

Protect the exceptional natural values along theriver banks of Sava and Danube, as well as thehistoric, cultural, urban and architectural values ofthe built environment near the rivers.

Preserve the urban landscape defined by theBelgrade fortress, Kalemegdan Park, and theconfluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. Thisurban landscape is visually and spatially dominantin the present image of Belgrade and should remainthe singular element in the citys panorama when

seen from either river side.

Reconcile the two distinct urban segments: therichly landscaped, park-like Belgrade fortress withthe more intensely built, denser urban tissue alongthe coast.

Preserve the following built structures: theKapetanija building, the existing railway tunnel and

Beton Hala.

The newly built structures should not obstruct theoutline of the Fortress. The views of the Belgradefortress and Kosancicev venac from the river, aswell as the views of the river and the new part ofthe city as seen from the Fortress comprise theremarkable value of this area.

Design Requirements

The architecture of Beton Hala Waterfront Centershould support and assert the project vision the vision of a dynamic urban hub which reflectsthe communication of history and future througha contemporary approach. In response to thedemanding site context, the authors should expressall their skills and ideas to compose the new buildingthat will improve the public space of the waterfront,its functionality and architectural sensibility.

The design should offer the high quality public spaceaccessible to all social, gender, age, and special-needs groups.

The Center should accommodate attractive usesthat make the wider area vivid, bright and safe allday and year long.

The Center should be designed keeping in mindthe ease of maintenance, safety and security.Durable, high quality materials with practical,robust construction details that result in ease ofmaintenance and lower costs should be used.


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Program Requirements

1.Create a safe, continuous pedestrian course

connecting the Sava Port, the existing Beton Halaand the Belgrade Fortress / Kalemegdan Park.Design this connection in a way it allows attractiveviews of the River and the Fortress. The possibilityof a pedestrian connection to Kosancicev venacshould also be explored.

All pedestrian connections should be easilyaccessible for people with special needs. Considerthe possibility of using mechanical means to assistpedestrian movement (cable cars, elevators, movingwalkways etc.)

2.Design the core part of the Beton Hala WaterfrontCenter between the existing railway tunnel andthe streets Vojvode Bojovica Boulevard and

Karadjordjeva.

The Waterfront Center consists of four mainsections:

A/ The exist ing structure of Beton Hala

with the railway tunnel

The existing Beton Hala building should be

incorporated into the new premises. The view ofBeton Hala from the river and the panorama of thecity beyond should remain as close to the currentstate as possible. The city of Belgrade is responsiblefor renovating the faade of the existing Beton Hala,and participants in this competition are expected topropose a minimum of three connections (stairs,elevators) between the ground level of the existingbuilding and its roof level.

Beton Hala Waterfront Center Site

Site limits

New pedestrian connections

No new construction allowed

New construction allowed


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The roof above the existing Beton Hala andabove the railway tunnel should undergo minimalinterventions and can be considered a river terracefor the newly designed Waterfront Center.

B/ Commercial premises

Design 5000 m2 of space for commercial usebetween the existing railway tunnel and the streetsVojvode Bojovica Boulevard and Karadjordjeva.Note that the existing warehouses in this part of thesite as well as the tram terminus will be dismantledand removed.

Consider the possible river views from the newlydesigned project and keep in mind the importanceof maintaining the characteristic vistas of the citybeyond the new Waterfront Center.

The structural system of the building should allow asmuch flexibility as possible for future modifications

of the building use.

C/ Exhibition space for multipurpose use

Design 6000 m2 of exhibition space for multipurposeuse within the same bounds, between the tunnel

and the streets Vojvode Bojovica Boulevard andKaradjordjeva.

In addition to the two principal exhibition areas, a2000 m2 space for main exhibitions and a smaller 500m2 space for temporary shows, this part of the newWaterfront Center should include a multifunctionalconference hall, curatorial and other office spacesand a lobby area with a small book/souvenir store

and a caf.

As before, consider the possible river views fromthe newly designed project and keep in mind theimportance of maintaining the characteristic viewsof the city beyond the new Waterfront Center. Thestructural system of the building should also allow asmuch flexibility as possible for future modifications.

Section diagram - connectionsVojvodeBojovica

Bou

levard

NEWCON

NECTION

NEWC

ONNECTIO

N

Existing

BetonHala

Sav

aRiver

Tun

nel

Warehouse

Warehouse

112m

83m

76m

82m

Desig

natedfordemolition

Desig

natedfordemolition


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Characteristic view of the port and the Fortress

D / Public, covered parking

for 800 vehicles and 15 tourist buses

Plan a parking area for cars and tourist buses related

to the new pedestrian connection, accessible bothfrom Karadjordjeva Street and Vojvode BojovicaBoulevard. The pedestrian course should connectto this parking area as well as to the planned tramstops.

3.Redesign the tram route so that it does not intersectwith the road traffic. The tram tracks arriving from

Karadjordjeva Street should be raised to the levelof the new pedestrian connection between theFortress and the existing Beton Hala. A new tramstop for both travel directions should be added inorder to facilitate the connection to the broader citycenter.

The existing road traffic conditions should be

maintained, taking particular care to allow thenecessary height clearances required in thetechnical regulations for trucks and heavy vehicles.Pedestrian routes should be planned as to minimizeintersections with traffic.

A self-service gas station should be planned on theriver side of the Vojvode Bojovica Boulevard. Exitlanes from the existing street towards the parking

area and the gas station should be planned so thatthe freight traffic is undisturbed.

Sustainability

The expectation of this project is to integratesustainability not only in technical, but also in social

and natural elements of the project. Sustainabilityshould be an integral aspect for both the buildings onsite and the way they relate to their surroundings.The competitors should take into consideration thefollowing requirements:

Energy conscious design. Minimize adverseenvironmental impact on areas surrounding thebuildings, especially the Belgrade Fortress;

Consider sustainable building strategies such asthe low energy use, natural lighting, passive solargain, natural ventilation, water use reduction, use ofrecyclable materials, materials with low embodiedenergy or from sustainable resources, and reducingthe site waste;

Consider a good level of ventilation, ideally bynatural means, adequate heating for thermal comfortand a good sound insulation.


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PROGRAM SUMMARY

No. Program groupTotal net floor area

(m)

A BETON HAL A, RAIL WAY TUNNEL (Exis tin g st ruc tur es, no t s ubj ect t o co mpetit ion ) 9700

A 1.0 "BETON HALA" 6700

A 1.1 RAILWAY TUNNELS 3000

Competition Program

B COMMERCIAL USE 5000

B 1.0 PUBLIC AREA 4000

B 2.0 STORAGE, MAINTAINANCE AND TECHNICAL UNITS 1000

C EXHIB ITION SPACE - GALLERIES 6000

C 1.0 LOBBY 510

C 1.1 ENTRANCE HALL 100

C 1.2 INFO DESK 25

C 1.3 COAT CHECK & LOCKERS 40

C 1.4 STAFF OFFICE WITH FIRST AID 15

C 1.5 RESTROOMS 60

C 1.6 STRAIRCASE, CIRCULATION, ESCALATORS 110

C 1.7 SOUVENIR & BOOK STORE 80

C 1.8 CAF 80

C 2.0 EXHIBITION AREAS 2600

C 2.1 MAIN EXHIBITION AREAS 2000

C 2.2 TEMPORARY EXIBITION AREA 500

C 2.3 LOUNGE AREAS 100

C 3.0 MULTIFUNCTIONAL CONFERENCE HALL 340

C 3.1 VESTIBULE 100

C 3.2 HALL 200

C 3.3 RESTROOMS 40

C 4.0 MANAGEMENT, ADMINISTRATION, CURATORS 220

C 4.1 DIRECTOR'S OFFICE 20

C 4.2 MANAGER, BUSSINES ADMINISTRATION OFFICE SPACE 60

C 4.3 MEETING ROOM 30

C 4.4 CURATORS' ROOMS (4 ROOMS) 80

C 4.5 COPY ROOM WITH STORAGE 15

C 4.6 RECEPTION AREA 15

No. Program groupTotal net floor area

(m)

C 5.0 MAINTENANCE AREA 230

C 5.1 REPAIR & MAINTENANCE WORKS 100

C 5.2 STAFF MANAGER'S OFFICE 20

C 5.3 CLEANING SUPPLIES STORAGE 10

C 5.4 SECURITY CONTROL ROOM 20

C 5.5 LOCKER ROOMS 40

C 5.6 LAVATORIES 20

C 5.7 ANCILLARY ROOM 20

C 6.0 TECHNICAL UNITS 600

C 7.0 CENTRAL STORAGE FOR EXHIBITION 1500

D PARKING, LOADING/UNLOADING AREA 23400

D 0.0 GARAGE - PARKING

D 1.0 CARS (800) 20000

D 2.0 BUS (15) 800

D 3.0 TECHNICAL ENTRANCE LOADING/UNLOADING 400

D 4.0 WASTE (2X100) 200

D 5.0 SECURITY AND MANAGEMENT 50D 6.0 STORAGE 100

D 7.0 SELF-SERVICE GAS STATION 350

D 8.0 CIRCULATION, ELEVATORS, ESCALATORS, EMERGENCY EXIT 1500

Note: Surface areas given in the above table are approximate; it is acceptable to design within +/- 10% of the givenvalues.

Documents

Competition Brief (2)