Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Minister of Science and Technological Development Bozidar Djelic called on architects from around the world to take part in the international competition for an architectonic solution for the future building of the Centre for the promotion of science, which will be announced on 15 September.

Djelic said at a press conference at which this project was presented that owing to this competition, a non-everyday facility will be built in Belgrade within two years’ time in which pupils and students of primary and secondary schools, their parents and teachers will have a chance to learn more about science and technology.

The competition will be open until 21 October, while the results will be published on 17 December this year.
The winners of the first three places will receive €60,000, €20,000 and €10,000 respectively.

This is the first international competition for an architectonic solution to be held in Serbia for almost 30 years, the Minister noted.

The competition is being announced by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development, in line with recommendations of UNESCO, and in association with the Serbian Association of Architects, the Belgrade Society of Architects and the International Union of Architects, Djelic confirmed.

He explained that this project is part of the programme of investment into scientific infrastructure which is being financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB), adding that the project’s value is €20 million, which is 5% of the total investment programme.

The construction of the new facility for the centre for promotion of science in Block 39 in New Belgrade will be important for the city and the whole of Serbia, the Deputy Prime Minister underlined, adding that the idea is to make the centre a symbol of not only science, but also urbanism and architecture.

The idea is to turn Block 39 into a modern campus of science and arts and bring Belgrade onto the radar of world architecture, like Bilbao did with its Guggenheim Museum.

Djelic stressed that the construction of the centre will be the first step towards what Block 39 will become, being a place where faculties of science, technology and art will be located along with prominent institutes.

The centre will be completed by the end of 2012 and around 200,000 students and adults will visit it every year, the Deputy Prime Minister announced, specifying that the building will span over 10,000 square metres.

Its four main parts will be an interactive exhibition space, a scientific club with laboratories and classrooms, a planetarium and a multipurpose conference hall.

Following the conference, Djelic visited the location in Block 39 where the new centre will be built, adding that the project is closely related to the Petnica Project and the Natural Science Centre to be built in Svilajnac.