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New BIGZ Building in the Spring
The renovation of the BIGZ building will be completed by the end of spring and open for the first tenants to move in, Marera Properties has confirmed. The company also announces that currently 80 percent of the work on the exterior has been completed, as well as most of the work on the interior of the building.
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The comprehensive reconstruction of this cultural monument began in the second half of last year, and it foresees a complete renovation of the building’s interior and exterior. Works on the building are still ongoing and include the reconstruction of the facade, changing all doors and windows to achieve better sound insulation, waterproofing works, as well as yard landscaping. At the same time, interior work is being carried out, which includes the replacement of complete electrical and plumbing installations, the installation of new fire protection and security systems, the installation of new lifts, and the installation of completely new air conditioning and ventilation systems.
BIGZ was designed by the architect Dragiša Brašovan and spans a total of 40.000 square metres which, once the reconstruction is finished, will be adapted to the requirements of a multifunctional class ‘A’ business centre. BIGZ will keep its monumentality and industri- al style, and the warmth of the space will be enhanced with modern details, including linear exterior lighting that will emphasize the contours of this historic building. With its size and complexity, it represents one of the largest building reconstruction projects that are under the protection of the City of Belgrade Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments that has been implemented so far in our area. The total value of the works is 20 million euros. The renovated BIGZ will be unique in terms of the individual floors which will span as much as 3,500 square meters per floor, with offices of differ- ent sizes designed to fulfil all the requirements of the future tenants, and the large windows that will decorate the building. All of this will make the interior bright and pleasant to work in.
The building that used to house one of the biggest state-owned printing companies was built at the very beginning of Vojvoda Mišić Boulevard, in the immediate vicinity of important industrial and infrastructure buildings, and is one of the most famous architectural achievements of Yugoslav modernism since 1937. Thanks to its location, it sovereignly defines views not only of the Boulevard, Senjačka Padina, Mostarska Petlja and the Gazela Bridge but also the neighbouring quarters of Dedinje and Topcider, representing a symbol at the entrance to the southern part of our capital.
Marera Properties is engaged in the acquisition, development, rental and management of the commercial real estate. The company’s portfolio consists of more than 200,000m² of office, retail and industrial buildings, located throughout the country, which puts it in the group of the largest developers in the Serbian real estate market. The company stands out the most for projects related to the successful reconstruction of old buildings that are under the protection of the City of Belgrade Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments. One such building is the Belgrade Palace, which was officially opened after comprehensive reconstruction in early 2021 and today is a first-class office space downtown. Also, another example is the former Beko building which was abandoned for a whole decade, roofless and windowless, but today it is a multi-functional office space. Last but not least, there is the ongoing renovation of the BIGZ building.