Public purpose facility | SANU Palace

Public purpose facility
SANU Palace

Description

Architectural solution for reconstruction and extension of SANU Palace retained its dominant public purpose, which is related to scientific and research activities, as well as to its program organization and system of administrative and organizational functions.

Project for reconstruction and extension of SANU Palace before Bureau Cube Partners, as project desiger, was done by the authors’ team, consisting equally of architects Milan Rašković, Miodrag Mirković and academician Milan Lojanica, with comprehensive support of other team members from almost all engineering disciplines, where it was a challenge a quite dysfunctional, devastated and operationally absolutely unusable, structurally incomplete and entirely devalued atrium/ courtyard part of SANU Palace, to completely re-organize in functional and structural sense with architectural solution, designing in its position a central multifunctional, primarily concert hall, with auditorium capacity for 350 visitors, with a central two-story hall and gallery front, as new lobby of this representative building.

Reconstruction and extension of SANU Palace systematically refers to implementation of additional functions within its open part, atrium of the closed block structure, in a form of central multifunctional hall with access to unique hall space and accompanying premises, which, as single functional pivot within central position of the block, are directly in the function of Serbian Academy of Science and Arts.

Along with revitalization of the authentic, originally assumed, and now, by architectural solution, reaffirmed pedestrian communications, designed lobby as spatially dominant part of SANU Palace additionally highlights intersection of horizontal and vertical communication flows within the building itself, which, through multiple architectural layers, in addition to tribute to Andra Stevanović , with reaffirmation of the originally designed communication motif, spatial accessibility through contact zones of the central lobby was additionally stressed, with simultaneous spatial and programmatic connections with the most important parts of the palace, SANU Gallery of Fine and Musical Arts, SANU Gallery of Science and Technology, ground-floor and finally mezzanine of the newly designed concert hall .

As part of reconstruction and extension project of SANU Palace, a concert or multi-purpose hall was designed in the interior part of the building, atrium, accessible from the right vestibule with four entrances/ exits.

Official entrance, as well as access for performers and technicians to the stage area, is provided from Đure Jakšića Street with wardrobes, sanitary facilities and space for stage equipment, on lateral sides and behind the stage area.

Restoration of facade panels of all street facades according to original project dated 1912 was planned, as well as reconstruction of authentic decorative plastic over the building’s mezzanine, thus reaffirming Art Nouveau decoration of the facade along the central facade panel, roof structure, dome and certainly under-dome zone.

On the facade, Art Nouveau decorative elements of architectural plastic were applied in the part of ground floor, corridors and passages, on one hand, and neo-baroque elements of architectural plastic on higher floors and above the roof cornice, on the other.

Decorative elements of drawn and cast architectural plastic in the form of floral arabesques, garlands and art nouveau masks are designed from plaster, natural and artificial stone and planned for reconstruction.