The London-based practice working with Bureau Cube Partners of Serbia won a single-stage competition to transform the former Milan Vapas Paper Mill into an educational visitor attraction dedicated to the Serbian-American engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla.In awarding the 60,000 top prize, the jury praised the winning design for its originality and thoughtful combination of Teslas historical legacy with the architecture of old Belgrade, and the modern appearance of the Serbian capital represented by the Belgrade Waterfront.A second prize of 40,000 was awarded to Zoran Sobic, Marko Filipovic, and Srdjan Stojanovic while a third prize of 20,000 was awarded to William Poole, Jim Richards, Benjamin Walker, Ivan Jankovic, Sasa Popovic, and Milutin Folic. The competition, organised by the Urban Planning Institute of Belgrade, received 46 submissions.AdvertisementThe project backed by the Belgrade Waterfront Company will preserve and enhance the 8,400m complex, considered one of Serbias best-preserved and most significant buildings of industrial architecture. Key aims include creating a space for a very rich museum exhibition, dedicated to one of the greatest inventors of the modern era on the 7,200m site.The winning scheme was inspired by Teslas vision of magnetic fields, combined with the idea of wireless transmission of electricity. It features spherical surfaces and circles creating a striking entrance foyer which leads visitors into a main atrium. The centrepiece exhibition will be the Tesla Electric Transformer Gallery featuring a 12-million-volt transformer.The museum building is a short distance from the site of the iconic 1957 Belgrade Fair and overlooks the River Sava. The site neighbours the busy Mostar motorway loop and is part of Belgrades enormous 177ha waterfront regeneration zone.In 2019, Madrid-based Fenwick Iribarren Architects won an international contest to transform Savski Square, which is a short distance from the proposed Loionica Multifunctional Centre next to the citys former main station. The scheme will create a new gateway to the 3.5 billion Belgrade Waterfront redevelopment project.Located on the southern bank of the River Sava, the Belgrade Waterfront development will transform a large area of former railway and logistics land. The district, known as Savamala, was a major commercial hub for the city before falling into disuse and has now been cleared for redevelopment. The scheme will deliver 6,000 apartments and 750,000m of office and commercial space.AdvertisementZHAs scheme will provide one of three new museums alongside a Historical Museum of the Republic of Serbia and Childrens Museum planned for the Belgrade Waterfront site. Once complete, it will provide a new environment for researchers studying Teslas archive and stimulate critical thinking about the role of technology in shaping the future.Competition judges included Marko Stoji, chief urbanist of the City of Belgrade; Ivana Zori, senior curator, of the Nikola Tesla Museum; Kristina Luki, graduate economist at the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia; and Aleksandar Ivanovi, graduate architectural engineer at the Cultural Heritage Preservation Institute of Belgrade.Architects view Source:Image by NorviskaWinner: Zaha Hadid Architects with Bureau Cube PartnersThe adaptive reuse of the 1920s structure will preserve its industrial heritage while upgrading its indoor and outdoor spaces as a leading cultural venue with improved accessibility from the city.The museums design draws on Teslas research into magnetic fields and wireless energy transfer. Informed by concepts of magnetic forces and interconnectivity, the design incorporates dynamic elliptical curves radiating from the old factory chimney, the sites dominant feature.A new circular opening in the factorys western faade will be the public entrance, leading visitors to the triple-height central atrium anchored by the historic chimney at the heart of the 13,400m museum.To enhance circulation and functionality in the buildings continued life as a museum, ellipsoidal sectional openings will be carved within the walls that divide the old factory's interior. These openings define a series of three-dimensional spherical voids that create an extended perspective viewed from the western entrance, through the atrium and terminating at the Tesla memorial at the eastern end of the museum.The museums first-floor galleries incorporate historical artefacts, interactive displays and immersive presentations, while temporary galleries will host an ever-changing programme of exhibitions and events, ensuring a new experience for returning visitors.Featuring a 12-million-volt transformer, the immersive Tesla Electronic Transformer Gallery will capture imaginations and showcase Teslas pioneering spirit. The museums visitor amenities also include a caf, a multipurpose hall and a rooftop restaurant offering panoramic views of the Sava River.Outside the building, Nikola Tesla Square will serve as a new public space for the city. Inspired by Teslas concepts of electromagnetic fields, the squares flowing pathways, gardens and plazas will enhance accessibility and connect with Belgrade Waterfront as well as the city's transportation network.Minimising ecological impact through passive design in addition to the use of renewable and geothermal energy, the paper mills restoration preserves its historic faades, vaulted ceilings and masonry, while updating its structure to serve as one of the citys most important cultural destinations.