London-based firm AL’A won first place in the international design competition for the New Belgrade Philharmonic Concert Hall in Serbia. This project will become a new landmark in Belgrade, the Serbian capital, and represents the largest cultural investment in the area in nearly a decade. Situated near the historic Serbian castle in New Belgrade, the concert hall will feature multiple performance, rehearsal, and creative spaces, including a symphonic music hall with 1,600 seats. The design was a collaborative effort among AL-A’s architectural team, VDLA landscape designers, AFA engineering consultants, and the local firm Zabriskie, with Arup coordinating the acoustic and theater design.
In 2021, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnered with the Serbian government, the Prime Minister’s Office, the city of Belgrade, and the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra to launch an international design competition for the new concert hall. A total of 37 firms from 15 countries participated. After several rounds, a jury composed of architects, concert hall experts, representatives from organizing bodies, and cultural planning consultants from Arup selected AL-A as the winner.
The Belgrade Philharmonic Hall will be the largest cultural infrastructure project in Serbia and the wider Balkan region. This investment is vital for Serbia’s cultural and educational sectors and will also help revitalize Belgrade’s tourism industry. Located in a spacious green area near the Serbian Castle with views of the Danube River, the project leverages its prime location by opening the building toward the surrounding landscape. The clean, white, cross-shaped structure creates multiple outdoor spaces that can serve as venues for music performances, exhibitions, or other cultural events in the future.
The concert hall is located in an exceptional setting that embodies Serbia’s vision for the future. Nestled within the beautiful Ušće Park on the Danube’s banks, the building tells a compelling story of transformation—how new architecture can help rebuild the city with greener, more attractive spaces. It will exemplify the harmonious coexistence of nature, architecture, and music, representing Serbia as a cultural bridge between Eastern and Western Europe. The venue will welcome people from around the world, across cultures, ages, and professions, to enjoy a diverse range of musical genres. — Amanda Levete, AL-A Manager
AL’A is an international architecture firm based in London. Recently, they partnered with Canadian energy company General Fusion to unveil the design of the world’s first magnetized fusion power plant, planned for construction in Culham, UK. Additionally, AL’A is transforming an old boiler room on Exhibition Road—London’s cultural artery—into a new V&A Museum, and they designed the MAAT Museum in Portugal.
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