Marina Dorćol Educational center and library. Residual spaces. Between the city and the Danube in the post-industrial era

Authors’ Comment

Water–industry, water–port, water–garden, water–education, water–entertainment, water–city.
Belgrade is a city born between two rivers, the Sava and the Danube. However, political, economic conditions and natural hazards have led to the city and its riverbanks developing separately. Over time, these riverbanks have been entirely used for industrial purposes and later abandoned. Today, the Danube riverfront is seen as a residual space, devoid of life, where industrial relics lie among lush vegetation and memories of a bygone era. These dormant places are now being brought back into public discourse through the development of Belgrade’s Linear Park along the former railway tracks that once separated the river from the rest of the city.
Located on the right bank of the Danube, close to Belgrade's city center, Marina Dorćol is now one of the most discussed sites for future urban development, a former industrial area where multiple historical, economic, and political layers meet around the ruins of the former power plant "Snaga i Svetlost," built in 1932. The marina's origins are thus closely tied to the electrification and modernization of Belgrade during the interwar period, reflecting the optimism of a future built on industry and production. It was, in fact, the port where coal was delivered to fuel the power plant that once provided heating for the entire city. However, it was abandoned in 1970 as it could no longer meet the growing energy demand.
This intervention aims to reintegrate the marina into urban life, emphasizing the preservation and reinterpretation of its existing industrial heritage, while introducing new functions aligned with the emerging cultural scene along the Danube. Considering the upcoming construction of the Faculty of Music, the Nikola Tesla Museum, the development of the Linear Park, and the presence of the Silosi Cultural Factory nearby, a technological educational center dedicated to dual learning is proposed, along with a public library adapted to 21st-century needs. This project addresses a much more diverse audience: not only students and pupils as active users, but also other city inhabitants, acting as an extension of the Linear Park towards the water, with the marina port remaining its core.
A key objective of the educational center is to raise awareness of the city's relationship with water. Given Belgrade’s current issues with discharging untreated wastewater directly into the Danube, it becomes essential to integrate a water filtration and purification station within the urban fabric. While the necessary funds for such a station exist, the main issue remains the lack of qualified personnel to operate and manage it. The architectural program, therefore, is not limited to theoretical learning but is also combined with practical laboratories for education, research, and innovation in the field, bringing the city’s pressing water issues to a broader public. In addition, the center includes public facilities like a filtered-water pool, dining areas and cafés, a public library, and, of course, the marina port.
In conclusion, the educational center would integrate the cultural aspects of the area with technological interests and the desire to create a landmark on the banks of the Danube, becoming more than just a library or a school, but a meeting place for the different layers of the city.