Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), the renowned London-based architectural firm, has been selected to design the new 35-story Alta Tower development in Belgrade, Serbia. The firm emerged victorious from an international competition featuring an undisclosed shortlist of architectural companies competing for this prestigious commission.
The mixed-use Alta Tower will offer a comprehensive blend of office spaces, residential units, public areas, and retail facilities. According to the architects, the design draws inspiration from Alta Bank's core values of stability, security, and resilience. The development will be strategically located in New Belgrade's bustling business district, positioned near the popular Merkator Shopping Center and the scenic Ušće Park.
ZHA's innovative tower design features a distinctive podium specifically crafted to blend harmoniously with the surrounding urban landscape. The structure will include multiple terraces and carefully planned gardens designed to maximize natural light and create an enhanced working environment for Alta Bank's headquarters. Two accessible branch offices will face the prominent Zoran Đinđić Boulevard, establishing pedestrian-friendly, open public spaces that will serve tenants, residents, and visitors alike.
The tower's mixed-use configuration strategically integrates Alta Bank's offices on the lower floors and at the top of the podium structure. The upper residential floors will provide residents with stunning panoramic views of both the historic Danube River and Belgrade's charming Old Town. Meanwhile, the podium section will house lettable office spaces available for various commercial tenants.
The building's design incorporates several sustainable and practical features, including vertical façade louvres specifically engineered to reduce solar heat gain while enabling natural ventilation throughout the structure. The construction will prioritize the use of locally sourced materials and feature advanced building systems optimized for modular efficiency, reflecting contemporary sustainable building practices.
This major architectural appointment comes less than a year after ZHA, in partnership with Serbian firm BCP, won another significant international competition in Belgrade. That previous victory involved the transformation of a disused paper mill into the city's new Nikola Tesla Museum, further cementing ZHA's growing presence in the Serbian capital.
Belgrade, Serbia's capital and largest city with approximately 1.7 million residents, continues to attract international architectural attention. New Belgrade, originally developed during the mid-20th century, has evolved over recent decades into the city's primary commercial and administrative hub, making it an ideal location for this ambitious new development.
