Attractor – Changing the face of Belgrade’s historical core / EXE Studio

By: Lidija Grozdanic | August - 22 - 2011

The Attractor is an Interactive Youth Center designed by Belgrade-based Exe Studio. Its conceptual origins are related to the need for diversification of activities within the city core. By using computational design techniques and achieving various degrees of structural and visual porosity, the project explores ways of contextualizing the contemporary design in an environment dominated by historical buildings.
The idea was to overcome some of the problems of the city by accentuating its cultural content. Here occurs the necessity for correlating existing structures and the contemporary need for public spaces. The aim was to create a valuable place for urban rest, communication and various activities. The chosen downtown site, located nearby Knez Mihajlova Street, is part of the main pedestrian area within the city core. The project establishes itself as an urban magnet, a center of attraction within the urban fabric. It offers, both programmatically and formally, a variety of spaces for public gatherings. The Attractor has several aspects, which allow non-uniform utilization: interior space facilitates cultural activities and information posts, while the open public space comprises an amphitheater and a green area, an urban oasis within Belgrade’s nucleus. A segment of the structure forms a canopy, which protects the street and preserves its values.