Ušce Tower
Encyclopedia
Ušće Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Belgrade
, capital of Serbia
, and the second-tallest building overall, after the Avala tower. It was the tallest skyscraper in the Balkans
until the construction of the Avaz Twist Tower
in Sarajevo.
Built in 1964, the glass building overlooks the confluence Danube
and Sava rivers from the New Belgrade side. It was originally 105 meters tall and used as the headquarters of the Central Committee of the League of Communists in the former Yugoslavia.
Ušće was frequently leased out to commercial interests until April 21, 1999, when it was badly damaged by successive NATO air-strikes as part of the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
. Beginning in 2003, the tower was reconstructed, including a 2-floor increase(141 m / 462 ft in total) in height, with the addition of a 26m antenna, which in strict architectural terms does not count as structural height, however, in structural height would actually be 115 m or 377 ft. The new tower, Ušće Office Tower 1, is now being rented out to tenants. The Ušće Complex, a modern business center, is also due to be completed within the next three years.
The original building was 105 m tall. Even today many people still call it CeKa which is the acronym for Centralni Komitet (Central Committee).
as the president of Serbia in 1990 the Socialist Party of Serbia
(SPS) moved into the building unlawfully, occupying ten floors. The party leased out many of the floors to domestic companies. They kept however 9 levels as offices for their party. The cabinet of Josip Broz Tito (which he rarely used) was cleared out.
Later in the 1990s, three Serbian television stations occupied some of the levels in the building: BKTV, RTV Pink
and TV Košava.
hit the building, setting the upper floors on fire. Several days later NATO repeated the attack. In total 12 Tomahawk
missiles were fired at this building. The structure withstood these attacks. No one was hurt as the building was unoccupied at the time (during the early morning hours).
The facade got a new look and it's all glass now. The reconstruction is referred to by many as the re-birth of Serbia (as democratic parties were finally in power in Serbia).
The plan to build a second tower has stalled because of the economic crisis.
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, capital of Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, and the second-tallest building overall, after the Avala tower. It was the tallest skyscraper in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
until the construction of the Avaz Twist Tower
Avaz Twist Tower
The Avaz Twist Tower is a skyscraper in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and at 172 m is the tallest skyscraper in Balkans. It is the new headquarter for Avaz, a Bosnia and Herzegovina newspaper company. The tower is located in the Marijin Dvor district, Sarajevo's business district. Construction...
in Sarajevo.
Built in 1964, the glass building overlooks the confluence Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and Sava rivers from the New Belgrade side. It was originally 105 meters tall and used as the headquarters of the Central Committee of the League of Communists in the former Yugoslavia.
Ušće was frequently leased out to commercial interests until April 21, 1999, when it was badly damaged by successive NATO air-strikes as part of the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
The NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was NATO's military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The strikes lasted from March 24, 1999 to June 10, 1999...
. Beginning in 2003, the tower was reconstructed, including a 2-floor increase(141 m / 462 ft in total) in height, with the addition of a 26m antenna, which in strict architectural terms does not count as structural height, however, in structural height would actually be 115 m or 377 ft. The new tower, Ušće Office Tower 1, is now being rented out to tenants. The Ušće Complex, a modern business center, is also due to be completed within the next three years.
History
Ušće Tower was built in 1964 to serve as headquarters of the Central Committee of the League of Communists in the former Yugoslavia. The building was exclusively used for the Communist party.The original building was 105 m tall. Even today many people still call it CeKa which is the acronym for Centralni Komitet (Central Committee).
Symbol of communist pride
During the "golden years" of Yugoslavia the lights were left turned on in the building so at night it would spell out "TITO". The building was a symbol of a strong communist country. The building at the time was of the latest architectural modernity. The foundations and the skeleton of the building were so strong that they would later survive multiple bomb blasts.Takeover
After the death of Josip Broz Tito and the election of Slobodan MiloševićSlobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
as the president of Serbia in 1990 the Socialist Party of Serbia
Socialist Party of Serbia
The Socialist Party of Serbia is officially a democratic socialist political party in Serbia. It is also widely recognized as a de facto Serbian nationalist party, though the party itself does not officially acknowledge this...
(SPS) moved into the building unlawfully, occupying ten floors. The party leased out many of the floors to domestic companies. They kept however 9 levels as offices for their party. The cabinet of Josip Broz Tito (which he rarely used) was cleared out.
Later in the 1990s, three Serbian television stations occupied some of the levels in the building: BKTV, RTV Pink
RTV Pink
RTV Pink or Radio-Television Pink is a popular, privately-owned, national TV network in Serbia. Pink is the leading commercial station in the Serbian television broadcast market. TV Pink has gained a strong reputation for its entertainment programming...
and TV Košava.
NATO bombing
On April 21, 1999 NATO air strikesKosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
hit the building, setting the upper floors on fire. Several days later NATO repeated the attack. In total 12 Tomahawk
BGM-109 Tomahawk
The Tomahawk is a long-range, all-weather, subsonic cruise missile. Introduced by General Dynamics in the 1970s, it was designed as a medium- to long-range, low-altitude missile that could be launched from a surface platform. It has been improved several times and, by way of corporate divestitures...
missiles were fired at this building. The structure withstood these attacks. No one was hurt as the building was unoccupied at the time (during the early morning hours).
Reconstruction
Reconstruction work on the building started in early 2003 and was carried out by European Construction. The reconstruction was completed in 2005 and the official opening took place in July that year. Two additional floors were added—conference halls are located on 24th and a restaurant on the 25th The multi-million dollar project has 25 stories (above ground), totalling around 25,000 m2 of office space. An observation deck, fitness area and cafe are located on the last level of the building.The facade got a new look and it's all glass now. The reconstruction is referred to by many as the re-birth of Serbia (as democratic parties were finally in power in Serbia).
Ušće Office Tower 1
Hypo Alpe Adria bank is now renting out the first ten floors of the building and has become the anchor tenant. This bank also has a light-ad on the building roof.Ušće Complex
In April 2009, a shopping mall named Ušće Shopping Center was opened at the south side of the tower. It has an area of 130,000 m2 on 6 levels, of which 50,000 m2 is retail space, with 150 stores, restaurants and cafés. The shopping mall also has a multiplex cinema with 11 screens, a bowling alley and a casino. Subterranean levels house a 4,000 m2 hypermarket and two levels of parking.The plan to build a second tower has stalled because of the economic crisis.
See also
- BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
- Novi BeogradNovi BeogradNovi Beograd or New Belgrade is the most populous municipality that constitutes the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is a planned city, built in 1947 on the left bank of the Sava river which was previously an uninhabited area, opposite of the old Belgrade...
- List of tallest buildings in Serbia
- List of tallest structures in former Yugoslavia