Alta Bank announce the new Alta Tower in Belgrade by ZHA and BCP
Bureau Cube Partners (BCP) collaborating with Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) have been selected as winners of the international competition to design the new Alta Tower in New Belgrade, Serbia.
The ZHA + BCP design of the new Alta Tower is defined by the bank’s core values of “stability, security and resilience”. Embodying these key principles within the architecture, the tower will contribute to the bank’s continued growth and success; providing a future-proof base of operations supporting 21st century working patterns in an evolving business ecosystem that brings people together and fosters collaboration.
Incorporating a new pedestrianised public plaza lined with cafes and shops, Alta Tower creates a vital civic hub in New Belgrade for residents, office workers and visitors, as well as the many students and academics of the new University Centre adjacent to the tower.
Served by a network of bus and tram routes, as well as the BG Voz urban rail system, New Belgrade is well connected to the rest of the city and the Nikola Tesla International Airport. The future Merkator Station on Line One of the city’s planned Metro System will be located immediately adjacent to the new Alta Tower. With excellent connectivity, New Belgrade continues to develop as the region’s primary business district hosting leading national and international corporations.
Located within New Belgrade’s Block 32, the new tower is adjacent to the Merkator Shopping Center and within walking distance of the Ušće Park promenade at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. These unique site conditions have defined the composition and orientation of the tower’s 35-storey design.
The tower’s podium is scaled to align with the surrounding urban fabric. Featuring terraces and gardens for recreation and informal gatherings, the podium’s design enhances natural light throughout the interiors, enriching the work environment of the bank’s headquarters.
Two branch offices providing various in-person banking services to Alta Bank customers are positioned facing Zoran Đinđić Boulevard for optimal accessibility. Offering levelled and open public spaces for all tenants, residents and visitors, pedestrian circulation is prioritised over access routes for vehicles.
The design integrates the bank’s new headquarters together with residential units, and lettable office floors in addition to the shopping and dining amenities within the new public plaza at street level.
The development’s residential units are positioned on the tower’s upper levels to maximize the panoramic views of the Danube River valley and Belgrade’s Old Town. Rental office floors are housed in the podium offering tenants’ optimal accessibility and flexible floor layouts. Alta Bank’s headquarters occupy the tower’s lower levels as well as the top floors of the podium, offering highly efficient and adaptable layouts with spacious outdoor terraces for employees’ relaxation. The bank’s executive floors are located at the tower’s summit featuring extensive amenities overlooking the city’s skyline.
Belgrade’s mild, continental climate has informed every aspect of the design to enhance environmental performance; enabling natural ventilation to be utilised throughout the tower and podium. Vertical louvres within the façade reduce solar heat gain and define a delicate gradation between opacity and transparency while accentuating the tower’s fluid composition. The development’s design has been optimised to increase modularity efficiencies using materials and systems procured locally within Serbia.
