Zaha Hadid Architects, in collaboration with Bureau Cube Partners, has won an international competition to design the Alta Tower, a 35-story mixed-use complex in New Belgrade, Serbia. The project, commissioned by Alta Bank, will become the bank’s new headquarters while also integrating residential, commercial, and public spaces within one cohesive urban structure. Designed around Alta Bank’s core values of stability, security, and resilience, the development aims to redefine the architecture, merging corporate, civic, and domestic life in a rapidly transforming city.
Alta Tower, a New Mixed-Use Landmark in New Belgrade
Located in Block 32 of New Belgrade, the tower will rise adjacent to the Merkator Shopping Center and within walking distance of Ušće Park, where the Sava and Danube rivers meet. This area is fast becoming a vibrant business district, and the Alta Tower is envisioned as a new focal point within that expanding skyline.
Its prime position ensures excellent connectivity, with access to Belgrade’s public transport systems, including buses, trams, and the BG Voz urban rail. The planned Merkator metro station, located directly beside the site, will further anchor the tower within the city’s growing transit network.
The proposal combines Alta Bank’s corporate headquarters, flexible rental offices, high-end residences, and a network of retail and dining areas. The tower’s podium is designed as a civic platform, housing the bank’s offices and two street-level branches along Zoran Đinđić Boulevard for direct public access.
Above this, the mid-levels offer adaptable office spaces suited to different work models, while the upper floors contain residential units with panoramic views toward the Danube valley and Belgrade’s Old Town. The executive suites and meeting terraces occupy the tower’s highest levels, where outdoor decks and glass façades provide sweeping vistas across the city.
A pedestrian-friendly plaza at the base will open the building to the public, lined with cafés, shops, and landscaped areas that invite social activity. The design emphasizes human scale and accessibility, prioritizing walkability and community interaction over vehicular circulation. The podium features terraces and gardens that bring daylight deep into the structure, creating a fluid transition between indoor and outdoor space. This layering of public and private zones reflects Zaha Hadid Architects’ signature approach, dynamic forms that respond to movement, context, and atmosphere rather than rigid geometries.
From a sustainability perspective, Alta Tower adopts strategies suited to Belgrade’s mild continental climate. Natural ventilation systems are integrated throughout both tower and podium, reducing reliance on mechanical air-conditioning.
The façade features vertical louvers that control sunlight and minimize solar gain while maintaining outward views, creating a dynamic rhythm between transparency and opacity. The architects also focused on local sourcing of materials, and construction systems will be procured largely within Serbia, ensuring environmental efficiency and supporting regional industries. Modular construction techniques are proposed to accelerate building time and improve precision during assembly.
The tower’s rippling vertical form is both sculptural and functional. Its fluid contours express lightness despite its scale, while its façade detailing creates a subtle gradient effect that shifts with changing daylight. The podium below mediates between the tower’s height and its urban surroundings, maintaining a comfortable relationship with nearby streets and public spaces. Together, these elements establish a composition that is elegant yet practical, a new architectural identity for New Belgrade’s evolving skyline.
Winning the competition adds another milestone to Zaha Hadid Architects’ long-standing legacy of shaping contemporary urban landscapes. For Alta Bank, the project represents financial operations with public life and modern workplace flexibility. For the city, it marks another step in transforming New Belgrade into a contemporary urban hub that balances commercial growth with livability.
Image credit: ATCHAIN
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