General urban concept for the Block 39
The main problem of the New Beograd town-planning concept is that single blocks are not fully utilize and they can be hardly identified. They are the basic elements of a grand-scale modernistic concept. Functional uniqueness of blocks is one of good ways to carry this concept out. Concentration of activities related to science and education will strengthen the Block 39´s identity. In order to emphasise that functional uniqueness we let ourselves inspired by the original character of this place. It was a part of the wetland meander before its recent cultivation and of the Pannonian Sea in the prehistory. We suggest restoring the original character of this place turning it into a lake. This way a blue block will emerge on the New Beograd’s map contributing to the diversity of its urbanistic mosaic. The existing building of the Faculty of Drama will be part of the “island” which will connect the future research and university buildings built in the lake.
General concept of the architectural design of the Centre for Promotion of Science
The datum for designing the Centre for Promotion of Science is to present science as an adventure and joy of learning and discovering. The university lake with the archipelago of schools and research institutes calls to join such an adventure.
The Centre for Promotion of Science is the first structure and an island within the future Archipelago of Science. Its form is a basic geometric volume – a cube “levitating” above the water sheet. A centre’s compact white wall reflects sunlight mirrored in the water surface. After the dawn it becomes a large projection screen relating to the actual exhibition programme. The building can also be easily transformed into a variety of appearances that can play integral role in everyday life of Belgrade’s residences. Only after the visitors enter below the ordinary “cube” they discover the play of organic forms. The central interior area is the hall gallery inspired by Nikola Tesla’s famous experiment known as Tesla’s Egg of Columbus, during which he managed to balance an egg on its tip by means of an electromagnetic field. This gesture of creativity of the most renowned Serbian scientist and inventor is a challenge for future generations. The egg-like shape of the hall gallery is our homage to this great mind of science. A simple and definite forme of the building has the power to be an emblem of the place and one of important architectures of the city.