Ušće Tower

Ušće Tower
Пословни центар Ушће

Ušće Tower in 2005
General information
Status Complete
Location New Belgrade, Serbia
Address Bulevar Mihajlo Pupin 6
Coordinates 44°48′58″N 20°26′13″E / 44.81611°N 20.43694°E / 44.81611; 20.43694Coordinates: 44°48′58″N 20°26′13″E / 44.81611°N 20.43694°E / 44.81611; 20.43694
Completed 1964
Renovated 2005[1]
Owner MPC Holdings
Height roof 115 m (377.3 ft)[2]
Technical details
Floor count 25[2]
Floor area 25,000 m2 (269,100 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators 7 (+ 1 freight)
Design and construction
Architect Mihailo Janković
Main contractor European Construction
Website
www.uscetower.rs

Ušće Tower (Serbian Cyrillic: Ушће, meaning "confluence") is a 25-story mixed use skyscraper located at 6 Mihajlo Pupin Boulevard in the New Belgrade municipality of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia. It is currently the tallest building in Serbia, and the second-tallest freestanding structure, after the Avala Tower.

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 of Yugoslavia in the former Yugoslavia, which broke apart in 1990.

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[1] (141 m / 462 ft in total)[3] 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 reconstructed tower is now being rented out to tenants.

History

Ušće Tower was built in 1964 as the headquarters of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia. The original building was 105 meters tall. Even today many people still call it "CK", which is the acronym for Centralni Komitet (Central Committee). During the "golden years" of Yugoslavia the lights were left partially turned on during the night to spell out "TITO", after president Josip Broz Tito.[4]

In 1979, the Tower became a target of Nikola Kavaja, who hijacked American Airlines Flight 293 with the intention of crashing the plane into the building.

During the collapse of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the Socialist Party of Serbia occupied the first ten floors of the building. 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.[4]

Later in the 1990s, three Serbian television stations occupied some of the levels in the building: RTV BK Telecom, RTV Pink and TV Košava.

NATO bombing

CK - NATO Bombing - Reconstruction - Ušće Tower

On April 21, 1999 NATO air strikes hit the building, setting the upper floors on fire, and few days later NATO repeated the attack. Several Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired at the building.[5] Despite the heavy damage, the building did not collapse and remained structurally intact. There were no reported deaths or injuries in the attack as the building was unoccupied at the time.

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[6] The multimillion-dollar project has 25 stories (above ground), totaling around 25,000 m2 of office space. An observation deck, fitness area and cafe are located on the top floor of the building. The observation deck is currently closed to the public, although there are plans to open it in the future.

The facade was redesigned and is now made entirely out of glass.

Ušće Office Tower 1

Addiko Bank is now renting out the first four floors of the building and has become the anchor tenant. This bank also has a light-ad on the building roof.

Ušće Business Center

The Usce Mall was opened on April 2009. The mall has an area of 130,000 square metres (1,400,000 sq ft) on 6 levels, of which 50,000 square metres (540,000 sq ft) 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.[7]

A second tower has been approved by city officials,[8] but its construction has been postponed due to the economic crisis.

View from an office in the Ušće Tower

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Lepša i modernija nego ikad" (in Serbian). Danas. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Ušće Tower - Fact Sheet" (PDF). www.uscetower.rs. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  3. ↑ "Ponovo otvoreno "Ušće"" (in Serbian). B92. 2 July 2005. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  4. 1 2 "Prodata Palata Ušće: Overavanje CK" (in Serbian). Vreme. 29 November 2001.
  5. ↑ Službena (zlo)upotreba, deo prvi (in Serbian), B92
  6. ↑ BLIZNAKINJE, Kurir
  7. ↑ "Otvoren šoping centar "Ušće"" (in Serbian). RTS. 31 March 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  8. ↑ Otvaranje T.C. Ušće u aprilu 2009
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