Zaha Hadid Architects, in collaboration with Bureau Cube Partners, have won an international competition to design a new tower for Alta Bank in New Belgrade, Serbia. Conceived as a mixed-use development, the project integrates the bank's new headquarters with residential units, rental office spaces, and retail and dining areas within a public plaza. The design aims to provide a future-oriented base of operations that reflects evolving patterns of work and urban life, continuing the collaboration between the two firms following their winning proposal for the new Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade in 2025.
Located in Block 32 of New Belgrade, adjacent to the Merkator Shopping Center and within walking distance of Ušće Park at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, the 35-storey tower is positioned within the city's expanding business district. The project will be directly connected to the rest of Belgrade through public transport links, including bus, tram, and BG Voz urban rail networks, with the planned Merkator metro station situated next to the site. A pedestrianized public plaza lined with shops and cafés will serve as a civic hub for residents, office workers, and visitors, as well as for students and academics from the nearby University Center.
The proposed design for the Alta Tower combines public and private uses within a single development. The podium includes terraces and gardens to create outdoor spaces and improve natural light inside the building. The development prioritizes pedestrian circulation, offering open and accessible public spaces while integrating two branch offices along Zoran Đinđić Boulevard for direct customer access. According to the proposal, the lower and podium levels will house Alta Bank's headquarters, while the upper floors of the tower will contain residential units oriented toward the Danube River valley and Belgrade's Old Town. Additional rental office floors occupy the podium, designed for flexibility and accessibility, while executive offices are placed at the tower's summit, featuring outdoor terraces and views across the city.
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Responding to Belgrade's mild continental climate, the design incorporates environmental strategies that enhance comfort and reduce energy consumption. Natural ventilation is integrated throughout the tower and podium, while vertical louvres in the façade mitigate solar heat gain and create a gradation between transparency and opacity that emphasizes the building's fluid form. As stated by the firm, the project also focuses on local sourcing and modular construction efficiencies, using materials and systems procured within Serbia to optimize environmental and economic performance.
In recent international project announcements, the architecture firm OUALALOU+CHOI won the competition to design the new Casa Sud Train Station in Casablanca, Morocco. Foster + Partners and MANICA were selected to design the stadium that will replace Milan's historic San Siro, while Henning Larsen revealed the winning proposal for a public swimming and sports facility in Gothenburg, Sweden, aimed at enhancing the city's network of community and health-oriented spaces.
