The Army Headquarters

The building of the Army Headquarters, also known as the Ministry of National Defense in Belgrade, was a seminal architectural project that symbolized a new national identity, built between

1954-1963. Architect Nikola Dobrovic's scheme won the competition held by the Yugoslav Army, as he distinguished his design from the Soviet counterpart in Moscow by stripping it of any

classical representations of power. Instead, he created "Bergson's diagrams" (referring to French philosopher Henri Bergson) based on the void where the nation's identity was to be found,

in non-matter and in the action of the individual moving through the void.

The complex's only (physically) recognizable symbol is an evocation of the Sutjeska canyon, the site of one of the greatest battles against Fascist occupation in WWII.

In 1999 NATO presented it as “the heart of the war machine” and consequently severely damaged it in bombing campaign. Though the building was emptied prior and had no military value,

it was seen as a symbolic target.

Today, this monumental structure with equally monumental holes in it, stands as a simultaneous reminder of both the highest and lowest points in the city’s 20^th century history.

In recent years, the Serbian government has moved towards privatizing the site. In 2024, a private equity firm founded by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law secured a 99-year lease on

this building complex for redevelopment.

Belgrade Waterfront

In 2014, the Serbian government and Eagle Hills, a private company based in Abu Dhabi, launched the Belgrade Waterfront real estate development project. The project involves reconstructing the Sava
Riverbank area, constructing the Balkans’ largest shopping mall, as well as building condominiums, hotels, offices, and retail spaces. The project has been linked to corruption scandals, including
illegal property destruction, land appropriation, and obtaining illicit building permits. The demolition of cultural legacy and the rapid privatization of public space reflect broader European trends where
nationalist politics and neoliberal urbanism converge. These changes are part of a broader movement of historical revisionisam, where the legacy of antifascist resistance is incrisingly erased in favor
of political ideology and commercial interests.

Montevideo film set

This site was initially a replica of famous downtown Terazije square from 1930’. Built as a set for the film Montevideo: Taste of a Dream, 2010 (nostalgic tale of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia national

team and their journey to the 1930 First World Football Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay).
The replica square was comprised of many buildings from which some are famous hotels and restaurants, tram, fountain and cobblestone street. Later on, the “thematic park” was supposed to

serve as a city tourist attraction but quickly failed and it was closed for public. After some years of useless existence, it was torn down (except the central fountain) and since then it has changed

 many temporary purposes like illegal Roma settlement, flea-market, dumpsite.

Today, an international IT company has built its headquarters on one part of the site, while the rest is still under construction. The forgotten fountain prop remains in the midst of all this new

development, with the old modernist infrastructure visible in the background.

This site is located in New Belgrade, a modernistic city planned and developed after World War II, with initial urban plans designed by the architect Nikola Dobrovic.