Zaha Hadid Architects has unveiled its design for the Alta Tower, a striking 35-story mixed-use development that will serve as a new landmark for Belgrade, Serbia. The project, developed in collaboration with Bureau Cube Partners for Alta Bank, won an international competition and will be located in Block 32 of New Belgrade. The tower is designed to establish a new headquarters for the bank while incorporating offices, public spaces, and residential units.
The Alta Tower embodies the bank's core values of stability, security, and resilience through architecture that carefully balances precision with openness. The development will feature a pedestrian plaza lined with shops and cafés, creating stronger connections between the city's expanding business center and its university campus. This integration aims to enhance the urban fabric while providing accessible public spaces for both employees and residents.
Strategically positioned in Belgrade's evolving landscape, the Alta Tower will be situated next to a main shopping center and within walking distance of Ušće Park. The tower occupies a prime location at the junction between the Sava and Danube rivers, positioning it to become a vertical landmark that contributes to Belgrade's rapidly transforming skyline. The project represents a significant addition to the city's architectural identity.
Accessibility stands as a central feature of the proposal, with the Alta Tower directly served by multiple transportation options. The development will connect to bus and tram routes, the BG Voz urban rail system, and an upcoming metro station adjacent to the site. These comprehensive transport connections align with Belgrade's broader strategy to expand New Belgrade as its primary commercial hub.
Zaha Hadid Architects has organized the Alta Tower to rise from a substantial podium that aligns with the surrounding urban fabric. The street-level element includes terraces and gardens that provide informal outdoor areas for employees and residents. Above this base, the tower rises with a fluid, vertically grained geometry that is characteristic of Zaha Hadid's recent civic and corporate architectural works.
The building's program is carefully distributed across its 35 stories, with the lower and podium levels accommodating Alta Bank's main offices, including adaptable workspaces and outdoor terraces. Rental office floors occupy the mid-levels of the tower, while residential units are positioned higher up to capture panoramic views of the Danube valley and Belgrade's Old Town. Executive floors at the tower's summit will offer sweeping views of the city's skyline.
Belgrade's continental climate significantly informed the environmental strategies incorporated into the design. The tower features natural ventilation systems throughout its interiors and utilizes vertical louvers along its facade to filter sunlight and manage thermal gain. This responsive skin creates a dynamic balance between opacity and transparency while enhancing interior light quality and shaping the tower's overall architectural expression.
Sustainability considerations are woven throughout the project, with construction emphasizing locally-sourced materials and modular efficiency. The construction systems and finishes are optimized to reflect both the precision of Zaha Hadid's distinctive design language and the practical sustainability goals appropriate for a future-focused headquarters. The vertical louvers across the facade not only reduce solar gain but also create the fluid, rippling appearance that gives the tower its distinctive character.
The project team includes ZHA Principal Patrik Schumacher, Project Director Manuela Gatto, and Project Associates Houzhe Xu and Jose Pareja-Gomez, along with extensive teams covering environmental sustainability and analytics. The local architecture partnership with Bureau Cube Partners brings essential regional expertise to the international collaboration, ensuring the tower responds appropriately to Belgrade's specific urban context and regulatory requirements.
