London, UK
London-based architectural practice AL_A is the winner of an international competition for the creation of the new Belgrade Philarmonic Concert Hall in Ušće Park of Belgrade.
The structure will contain four spaces: a 1,600-seat performance hall, a recital hall, a creative hub, and a podium stage that will be merged together.
The new concert hall is the biggest cultural investment in the region for decades and the project is an extraordinary commitment to building a brighter, more sustainable future for the city.
Merging four venues together in a flowing layout, the venues encircle a social space that forms the heart of the Belgrade Concert Hall, with the shared back of house facilities positioned below the newly created town square.
Through this arrangement, AL_A designs a building that has no front or back façade, creating “an architectural panorama.”
The building and the new shared social space at its heart gather under a draping canopy that spans each venue, resting softly in between.
“The materiality of this envelope will create a rippling effect that mirrors the dappled waters of the River Danube, reflecting the changing landscape through the seasons, and signaling a new monument of culture,” states AL_A.
“You couldn’t dream of a better site than this to message Serbia’s vision for the future. The magnificent setting of Ušće Park, on the banks of the River Danube, sends a powerful message about transforming and rewilding our cities to make them greener, more beautiful spaces,” says Amanda Levete, principal of AL_A.
“The Concert Hall will be an expression of harmony between nature, architecture, and music, at a pivot point in Europe where East meets West.”
“It will be a place where people from all places and cultures, of all ages and abilities, come together to delight in music from every genre,” Levete adds.
The studio aims to reflect “an expression of harmony” that merges the landscape with the geometry of the whole structure.
In the project description, AL_A states that the use of water to reflect the building and surrounding nature evokes the marshland that originally allowed the Serbian people to flourish there.
The venues will encircle a social space that forms the heart of the Belgrade Concert Hall, with a shared back of house facilities positioned below the newly created town square.
“The Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall is the largest cultural infrastructure project in Serbia, and the region, and will be one of the largest in Europe itself. I am proud that this decades-long dream, of our professional musicians, young talents, music lovers and the people of Serbia, is finally coming true in such a beautiful shape,” states Ana Brnabić, Prime Minister of Serbia.
Project: Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall
Architects: AL_A
Lead Architect: Amanda Levete
Renders: AL_A
