Heritage in Danger: Belgrade Fair

Docomomo International has been made aware through Docomomo Serbia of the intensified demolition threats to the pavilions of the Belgrade Fair. 

Docomomo Serbia, along with two other professional associations in the field of cultural heritage protection—the Association of Conservators of Serbia and Europa Nostra Serbia—has issued a press release, calling for a reassessment of the controversial decisions made in early 2009. These decisions initially enlisted and subsequently delisted the ensemble of the Belgrade Fair within a month, leaving protection only for Hall 1 of the Belgrade Fair. Despite the continued recognition of this ensemble as an urbanistically protected zone in relevant plans, the imminent threat to its structures arises from the proximity of the Belgrade Waterfront development. The creeping expansion of the waterfront toward the Zone is putting the ensemble at risk. Authorities have already initiated procedures for the waterfront’s expansion onto the land previously utilized by the Fair, which was forcefully excluded from its accounting and contracts this year.