Milica Pajki!

, Phd student, Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade, Scholar of Ministry

of Education and Science, Government of the Republic of Serbia
Predrag Markovi!, Phd student, Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade

Title: ABANDONED ARCHITECTURE: GHOST SPACES IN BELGRADE
ABSTRACT
This research will deal with transformations of devalued and devastated spaces within the city,
and possible methods of their integration in newly formed urban fabric of Belgrade. These
corrupted areas of Belgrade are useful for research because of multiple changes of concepts
during their development and construction. Primarily, following Le Corbusiers directives of an
ideal city and his leftist beliefs suited to political circumstances in Social Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and indirectly implied creation of citys modern paradigm, destined to be challenged.
Numerous political, economic, social, ethnic and cultural changes in territories of former
Yugoslavia directly influenced primordial discrepancy between planned, built and unfinished
spaces. This is the point where we can notice a direct relationship of these layers with the
formation of ghost spaces. This term can also be related to the concept of non-places that was
defined by Marc Aug as a space without people, memories and identity, and that turned out to
be precisely the fate that characterizes selected projects in Belgrade.
The paper questions theoretical assumptions and theses within the theory of
postmodernism, through analysis of reference literature in this field and by mapping concepts of
ghost spaces and non-places. These two concepts are recognized as the points where one
can determine the transformational development of selected spaces and objects in
Belgrade under the influences of emerging environmental conditions. The central part
of the paper will address and analyze case studies of identified, neglected places of industry,
transport, commercial and exhibition facilities. These non-places have become the
black points of the city, because of their lack of content and applications they dont
achieve urban roles for which they were destined. Thanks to the positive regeneration example
of the waterfront facility in Belgrade, paper stands the thesis that by appropriate space
interventions these ghost spaces could be transformed, activated and re-programmed due to
new time and its urban needs.
The study should help mapping the notion of ghost spaces and non-places, their conflicting links
to the urban fabric, and to identify, classify, analyze, explain, and finally, position these concepts
in different aspects of the contemporary architectural theories. The ultimate goal is to mark
these places and objects, to state their potentials for re-programing, and finally, to
indicate methods for their revival.
Key words: ghost spaces, non-places, architecture theory, urban merging, transformation, re-
programing






1.INTRODUCTION

Recent studies in architectural discourse, influenced by globalization, information and
capital, indicate appearance of different urban paradoxes and programmatic mutations.
Belgrade, as the capital of Serbia and one of the most important Balkan cities, in the last
century went through very dramatical changes and makes a good terrain for many researches in
the field of architecture. Great political, social, economic and cultural changes followed citys
turbulent history in which, counting only the period of last hundred years, Belgrade was capital
of eight different countries (Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (1918-1929.), Kingdom of
Yugoslavia (1929-1941.), Democratic Federal Yugoslavia (1945.), Federal Public Republic of
Yugoslavia (1945-1963.), Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1963-1992.), Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia (1992-2003.), Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006), Republic of Serbia
(2006- )). These severe historical shifts turned out to be crucial for future development and
highly consequent for citys urban fabric. These complete ideological changes, of their foreseen
goals and tendencies left behind spatial layers of mixed authoritative decisions, symbolical
metaphors, social expectations and unfulfilled hopes. In these processes many abandoned
architectural and urban tissue can be singled out that we recognized as ghost spaces/places.

2. TERM/ GHOST SPACES. NON-PLACES

The term itself is in dialectical sense close to Marc Augs term of non-place mostly because
of that negative attitude towards the character of space. While Aug considers non-places as
buildings and infrastructure necessary for accelerated circulation of people and goods(O!e,
2005, pp.36), we think of ghost spaces as artificially altered territories which were in some point
of time, for some reason abandoned and functionally blank, publicly neglected and left behind to
become black holes of its urban context. We find that spaces with lack of integrity and identity,
built or unfinished, previously consumed or functionally virginal, all fill the discourse of ''ghost
spaces/places, which is essentially quite different from Aug's non-place. Universally
speaking, ''ghost'' is a space inside city's urban fabric that stands unfamiliar, unfinished,
neglected, disconnected, often due to it's overall emptiness invisible to the city and it's people.
In other words we can say that ghost spaces are architectural orphans of transitions (political,
economical, social"etc.). As parts of, by some authors super-modern city of present, these
ghost spaces represent sophisticated forms of architectural disappearance, that urge to be
investigated.
In contemporary world, the fascination with abstraction, disappearance, over presence and
availability has its roots in global culture and its vessel, process of globalization, which was
made by developed capitalistic society in order to negate stability and autonomy of identity. We
find that this impotence of ghost spaces to establish and nourish identity in terms of Christian
Norberg-Schulzs definition of place is crucial for their explanation and positioning among
contemporary urban terms. In that sense, ghost spaces, non-places, and other similar
phenomena are easily identified as typical expressions of the age of globalization(Ibelings,
2003, pp. 66). Inexistence of identity, absence of function and meaning, lack of liaisons with
surrounding characterize ghost spaces and causes of their existence often lay in failed
concepts, political, economical and cultural breakdowns that affect all structures and layers of
societys actions, especially architecture, as highly dependent discipline. One of the most
recognizable characteristics of ghost spaces is absence of content, activity, program. Object
without program represents just a simple shell. If we follow Bernard Tschumis premise that
there is no architecture without program, without action, without event (Tschumi, 2004, pp.11)
our recognized ghost spaces represent unique, ambivalent architectural act that is not solely
present in Belgrade, but seems to be an emerging phenomenon throughout developed
countries of both the East and West. Depending of the state of architectural object, its
capabilities and capacity for re-programming the existing, underachieving program is essential
for citys re-appropriation and revival of those lost spaces. That re-birth demands creative
approaches and strategies for graduate transformation and inclusion of ghost spaces into the
active, live network of the city. Another relation, important for understanding of ghost spaces
is global phenomena of mass production and consumption of content. The basis of current
value-system, manner of living and thinking is economy. French philosopher Nicolas Bourriaud
noticed this process: consumption is a mode of production"consumption creates the need for
new production, consumption is both its motor and motive(Bourriaud, 2007, pp.22). Constant
economic growth creates stability that makes architecture flourish and develop but also on the
other side the dependence of architecture on economy makes it more vulnerable to financial
shocks. On the other hand, Yugoslavia was for some time part of the developed world, but its
internal conflicts led to economical instability and eventually total breakdown, which resulted
with numerous urban and architectural failures. Aug notices the same: Countries of Eastern
Europe kept their exotic authenticity because they have no means to join world's consumption
space(O!e, 2005, pp.101).

3. LOCAL CONTEX

During the 20
th
century, Belgrade experienced several radical shifts of countrys political course,
as it is presented in introduction that indirectly caused discontinuity in urban development and
degradation of initiated projects. Second aspect, economy, went from glorious results in mid-60s
and 70s to absolute breakdown during the 90s. We have already determined that ghost
spaces are spatial residues of fundamental societal changes, but in the case of Belgrade, we
can mark the year 1980. as a starting point of their formation within the city. That was the year
in which complex system of governance started to collapse, among other causes following the
death of countrys lifetime leader and president, Josip Broz Tito. The former Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia that was formed in 1963. was breaking down, and finally dissolved in
1992. which caused enormous problems in all fields of life.
But as a condition of these changes we must briefly present former and the periods after the
1980s, in order to explain the earlier conditions and provide a good basis for the research. After
the War in Serbia, during the 60s, one could feel the changes caused by high economic growth
and the inflow of money in the former Yugoslavia, which resulted in a sudden increase in
construction. The state began to invest in large-scale projects, like building new parts of the city,
but simultaneously investing in social enterprise projects to stimulate employment in the
government organizations. These projects represent a specific phase of Serbian architecture,
forming a significant architectural character of the professional practice of architecture, as a
symbiosis of local and universal values and paradigms, designing space based on the rejection
of the conventional boundaries of historical structures.
In the following period, during the 70s, the change is primarily shifted on the international
architectural scene, because an important aesthetic architectural pluralism of postmodern was
developed. This is the time in which Udo Kultermann, in his book Architecture in the Seventies
(Kultermann, 1980), writes that this new era is marked by "return to traditional styles and
methods, which caused the belief that the past provides answers to issues of the present in the
social and technological relations"(Kultermann, 1980,pp. 93-94). Because of this, it is clear that
in this period of false economic prosperity of Yugoslavia, based on a number of foreign
borrowings, one can search for the first conditions for formation of ghost spaces. Last period
covered by this analysis is the transition period, after the War and the disintegration of former
Yugoslavia during the nineties and important political changes in Serbia, after 2000. Like Milos
R. Perovi# said, the most significant change in Serbian architecture of the past decades of
twentieth century was the changing attitude towards money, with the building became the
subject of a market (Perovi#, 2003). It is clear that one of the biggest influences on architecture
was pursued by economy.

4. FORMATION OF GHOST SPACIES

Recently a text appeared on a local news service, (Public) spaces of Belgrade that caught our
attention. Paper focuses on abandoned spaces of the city and possible causes of their
occurrence. It opened many research issues for us. Also we came to conclusion that the issue
of ghost spaces, although under a different name of abandoned architecture, is active but really
neglected. Visibility of this problem was brought through public debates that were organized for
this purpose. (Failed Architecture, held on 6 April 2012. at the Cultural City Center. Before it
several conference were organized, like Dictionary of Urban Dilemma and Dictionary of urban
solutions, and debate Who builds the city? in Cultural Center REX in Belgrade, oriented and
dealing with process of privatization and repurposing of buildings. As a result of these events,
"Public Open Spaces" is published this year by the Civic Initiatives.)
Although there were some efforts towards dealing with this problem of devastated and
abandoned architecture, it seems like until now there are little material results. There are
numerous examples of this architecture in Belgrade, and we will mention a few: Building of
State printing office BIGZ, Power plant Power and light (also known as Old Central), Building
of Old mill, Rad office building, Museum of Revolution, New Belgrades public garages, Beko
building, Old Fairground, Cinema Slavica, Shopping mall Konjarnik, Cotton combine, territory
of Savas amphitheater, etc. It is our strong stance that in these ghost spaces one can
determine the gathering of most causes and conditions for architectural reprogramming.
Because of the extent of this research, in paper are presented only those projects that typify a
specific phase or pronounced aspects of social conditions.

Picture 1.- Abandoned building in Belgrade. Picture by the authors

4.1 CASE STUDY: RAD OFFICE BUILDING

One of the most evident examples of architectural dependency to stability of economy is a true
ghost place, office building of one of the most successful Yugoslavian construction companies,
GP Rad. Construction begun in 1989. but, due to numerous problems, mostly financial, the
works stopped in 1998, when building was almost 90% finished. Since then, nearly 60.000
square meters of offices, congress center and retail space have been left in silence. The
company bankrupted, and the faith of the whole project was sealed.
This building represents the perfect intersection of several paradigms and influences in recent
Belgrades history that led directly to formation of ghost spaces: collapsed economy, disoriented
politics, loss of social and cultural compass. Although it is located in the very center of todays
business district of New Belgrade, Rads building is literally invisible. This invisibility comes as a
direct consequence of spaces numbness, lack of content that would attract activities and
people, and bring building, as architectural act, back to the mental map of people and urban
fabric that surrounds it.

4.2 CASE STUDY: MUSEUM OF REVOLUTION

Monument wants to be perceptible expression of eternity(O!e, 2005, pp. 58). Also, eternity is
ultimate dream of every kind of power or government. Exactly the same was the need of
communist government in Yugoslavia after the Second World War. In urgent need to
reconstruct past and deconstruct reality, glorifying appropriate, ideologically acceptable
moments and personalities, in 1959. institution of Museum of Revolution was formed. After the
competition in 1961., appropriate project was selected for realization but the period between
selection of project and beginning of actual construction made it meaningless. Time gap of
nearly 20 years of preparation of the project, administrations uncertainty, changes of location
and shifts of whole ideological context made the Museum
lost both in space and time. Its construction finally begun
in 1978. but was soon ended, leaving only the basement
level and ground-floor slab finished. This ghost space is a
true mark of wandering political ideology that often
changed its priorities and fields of interest, leaving them
half-finished. And quite an irony it produced, unfinished
Museum of Revolution (peoples, communist, for freedom
and equality) is at this moment shelter for several
homeless people and there are some propositions that in
future it could become the foundation of Belgrade Opera
house. Communist ideology, misery and bourgeois culture,
they all meet at this place.
Picture 2- Museum of Revolution, taken from
http://www.vesti.rs/Beogradske/Beskucnici-na-temeljima-muzeja-revolucije.html

4.3 CASE STUDY: NEW BELGRADES PUBLIC GARAGE

During the late 1980s, Belgrade faced a problem that rarely anyone could have foreseen - lack
of parking space. Citys municipalities acted swiftly and numerous public parking garages were
planned or started to erect. Because of the severe financial crisis, all of sudden, sites were
abandoned, leaving nearly finished structures to the temper of time. By definition, they are ghost
spaces, but their uniqueness is hidden in their temporary alternative functionality, which
manifests thanks to institutional chaos. Overall legal vacuum in whole country provides them
opportunity to host paintball sessions, kart races, and other easily replaceable programs.
Exactly this type of relation between space and program could assist in finding suitable
methodology in reviving ghost spaces.

4.4 CASE STUDY: BIGZ STATE PRINTING COMPANY
Surely, one of the most media talked-about objects in Belgrade that we recognized as an
example of ghost architecture of the city is the BIGZ. The main objective of the architect
Dragi$a Bra$ovan was to design a form that is in shape of Cyrillic letter %, and symbolized a
printing machine, because it was in property of the State Printing office. Today, this project is
seen as one of the main examples of architectural effectuations of the Yugoslavian modern
movement. It was constructed between 1937. and 1943, covering more than 25 000 square
meters. It is situated in Senjak, near city center and it dominates in its panoramic view. Because
of the socialistic historical, social and economic juncture of former Yugoslavia, BIGZ was in
property of the country and had more than 3000 employees. In the year 1992. the building was
put under the protection of City Department for the Protection of monuments of culture, and this
relates to its important role in architectural heritage, even today. But also, these 1990s were
crucial for its transformation in a ghost space. At first, because of the disintegration of former
Yugoslavia that began in 1991. and secondly, economic enervation that was followed by
decadence of the most firms that were in public property. That same destiny bef&ll the Belgrade
publishing and graphics institute and it begin to collapse. In the years of transition, after 2000. it
was, like many, in process of privatization. Interesting fact is that this particular one was
investigated by popular Serbian TV show Isajder, which initiated many questions of irregularity
during the process. Raised problems were mostly about the amount of money for its selling.
Today, this icon of Belgrades modern architecture (in which some recognize the elements of
Bauhaus) turns into an immense quantity of dirty concrete, wracked glass, more than 10 000
square meters of dark hallways, on which the traces of time, absence of use and lack of
recourses are more than visible.
But, in this paper BIGZ State printing company is also recognized as a positive instance. In last
several years, mainly owing to economic aspect, the Graphics company BIGZ, which is the
majority owner of the building (about 80%), leased 5000 square meters on second, sixth and
seventh floor of the building. Spontaneously, space was filled with various artists that created
workshops, clubs and places of creation. This is where aspect of economy demonstrates its
great power: a paradox - a force that once destroyed a great architectural piece of modern, was
capable to transform it in rare informal cultural center of Belgrades underground life. But the
question remains, is it capable once more to overcome this situation, and let Bra$ovans
architecture to be converted into a hotel or business center? Some speculation exists.

Picture 3-BIGZ. taken from http://dragananikolic.blogspot.com/2011/11/exhibition-of-poezin-posters-
12th.html

4.5 CASE STUDY: POWER AND LIGHT POWER PLANT

Industrial heritage, in addition to being important part of urban and architectural tissue, is a
specific part of citys culture. Because of this, it is of great importance to infiltrate and re-
programme this kind of buildings in new historical, social and economic aspects of
contemporary life.
One of those projects is the power plant Power and light in Belgrade. It is situated in old city
center, Dor#ol, near right riverside of Danube. Project represents the great power of country (at
that time Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1929-1941.)) that tended to be technologically advanced, in
the end of 19
th
and beginning of the 20
th
century, by introducing AC. Belgrade was among few
European cities that, by the end of 19
th
century, introduced electrical power. Due to
industrialization of the city, the country was drawn by modernization. This was important
because it brought new social layers, development of transport and telecommunications, and
mostly, general cultural progress. Life for this architectural artifact began in 1929. when the
Commission members of the Municipality of Belgrade decided to build a power plant through a
architectural competition in which 14 foreign and 2 Yugoslav companies participated. After only
two years of construction, in 1933. Power plant began to work and it was in property of
Municipality of Belgrade city.
The architecture of the building was based on modularity, and four production units were
constructed, latest in 1938. Form of the building was cubic, and occupied in its basis about 2800
square meters adopting relatively new Bauhaus esthetics. The revolutional ideas of the
Bauhaus were marked by the absence of ornamentation and harmony between the function of
an object and its design, unifying art, craft, and technology. One more stance that goes in favor
of comparing old Belgrades power plant in Dor#ol to Bauhaus school is the period - because
this style was active until 1933. and the Nazis.
Finally, in 1947. power plant Power and light, by the authoritys decision on nationalization,
was transferred into state ownership. Once more political, ideological and economic changes of
the new country (Federal Public Republic of Yugoslavia (1945-1963.)) have affected on
architecture. Plant worked until 1967. when the technology changed and it was necessary to
shift to fuel oil. Power and light stopped working in 1969. Ever since, it was exposed to a
constant decay and neglection. Although it seems that this building is not damaged by the
economy, but by a need for new technological advances, it is clear that the disintegration of
former Yugoslavia brought the collapse of the building, that could not contribute sufficiently to
the overall metropolization of Belgrade, which it almost forty years earlier have initiated. Today,
all that is left is the main building, water pump, crane and filter plant. This is an ideal condition
for project reprogramming, because it is a true ghost space without memories, ready for new
ones to be made.

5. HEALING OF GHOST SPACES / POSITIVE EXAMPLES

The good examples of reprograming in architecture, although not yet in construction process,
are buildings in the military property. The establishment of the Defense system in 2004. started
the process of selling military property, in order to provide funds necessary for funding the
defense system. Two years later, the adoption of the Master Plan for the disposal of surplus
military property, started a process of changing its basic purpose.
It seams that young artists and organizations made the biggest effort. From 2010., in place of
old industrial complex on the Danube waterfront Zitomlin, Mikser festival is held. Introducing
art into the old architectural membrane has re-programmed this space for new facilities in
accordance with modern times. Last session of Mikser was held in Sava mala, an old, neglected
quarter of city center, marking not just one object, but whole area as a valuable yet decaying
neighborhood, slowly turning into a ghost space. The approach of Miksers organizers could be
one direction in which possible strategies of development and rebirth of ghost spaces might
evolve. Its main features are minimal investments into the contents, absence of physical
changes in space but as it is a temporary type of program, its lifetime is too short to fully bring
life into the ghost space. The series of manifestations with similar approach, hosted in those
identified ghost spaces could gradually lead to their re-appearance on cultural map of the city
and slowly lead them towards the complete integration into the citys urban life.
Maybe the most obvious example of revival of a ghost space in Belgrade is Beton Hala
Waterfront center. At first, to old hangars came artists and club renters. Soon this location
became one of the most visited places of Belgrades underground scene, and old space with is
concrete esthetics and strait lines of architectural form gathered artists, musicians, architects,
designers and lovers of nightlife. Once ghost space turned out to be a place to be seen. But
hidden, there is a logical explanation that lies in economy. Firstly, this is one of the most
expensive citys locations where prices of rent are very high but could be paid through catering.
This is animated more with nearness of rivers and its developed tourism. Secondly, city built a
garage just above this place, and made additional revenues. This confirms Tschumis statement
that '' programs have long since ceased to be determinative, because the constantly changing - the
design of the building, during construction and, of course, after he finished'' (Tschumi, 2004, pp.93).

6. CONCLUSION

According to many theorists of contemporary culture, the development of cultural industries
requires a new mix of public and private partnerships. Privatization of old buildings, their re-
appropriation or total devastation could have serious consequences for the urban fabric of the
city. It could loose the points of its normal functioning, and at the end its profit. Additionally,
through improper urban and architectural tools, the users loose attachment to a place and it
soon becomes abandoned, the infected tissue of the city. These processes may therefore have
deleterious(?) consequences regarding public importance. The lack of uniform and clearly
defined cultural policy that would provide the necessary real purpose of these facilities has
resulted with only temporary solutions. It seems that the adoption of master plans, as far as it is
good for planning of the future development of the city, neglects individual problems-
microstructures.
As seen in these few examples, in last 30 years, various influences conditioned formation of
ghost spaces in Belgrade. While the political situation nowadays is relatively calm, economical,
social and cultural problems are pilling up and risking increase of neglected, forgotten spaces
within the city. Simple reconstruction, renovation or revitalization are not suitable strategies for
revival of spaces whose initial existence was jeopardized. In order to make a complete
transformation, these spaces must gain some purpose, which could justify their further
existence and prove their value in contemporary city. As Nicolas Bourriaud states appropriation
is indeed the first stage of postproduction (Bourriaud, 2007, pp.25). The conclusion is that the
biggest cause of this, in addition to permanent social, ideological and cultural policy of the state,
is the economy. Insufficient recourses, which were boosted by the recent economic crisis on the
global level, and a lack of good long-term programs and tools for maintenance and re-
appropriation of abandoned facilities leads to their spontaneous transformation into the ghost
spaces.
In the same context, eventual bringing back to life of ghost spaces would represent a new mode
of production, or because it operates with something existing, architectural version of
postproduction. However, it is necessary to restore and maintain constant dialogue between
specialists - leading thinkers, architects, urban planners, economists, etc. for the activation of
these facilities. Rescheduling the abandoned space plan is required and also the willingness of
architecture to be flexible, amorphous and unstable. But the process of re-programming of these
spaces is not solely the act of architecture. It firstly includes re-programming in urbanism, with
renewed spatial plans in order to link this objects within citys net and to form a specific, well-
organized tissue. New strategies that include stable economy plans, cultural events that are
sometimes drawn by the history of place (like with Power and Light power plant and Bigz) are
also crucial for activity and bringing back these kinds of places into a global reality. By adding
new contents to abandoned, ghost spaces they will bring back the old memories, but at the
same time will create new. Regaining attractiveness they will loose their ghosts. Because of
this we conclude with Hans Ibelings statement that the new frame of reference will no longer
be dictated by the unique, the authentic or the specific, but by the universal. (Ibelings,2003,
pp.135).


Picture 4.- Vivid citys net. Connecting ghost spaces. Picture by the authors

8. REFERENCES:

Blagojevi#, Lj., 2011. Postmodernism in Belgrade architecture: Between cultural modernity and
societal modernization. Spatium Internation Review, No.25, pp. 23-29.

Bourriaud, N., 2007. Postproduction. 3rd edition. Berlin-New York:Lukas & Sternberg.

Ibelings, H., 2003. Supermodernism: Architecture in the age of globalization. Rotterdam:NAI
Publishers.

Jankov, S. (Javni) prostori Beograda. B92.net.[online] Available at: <http://www.b92.net/kultura/
moj_ugao.php?nav_category=1086&yyyy=2012&mm=06&nav_id=616095>[Accessed 20 July
2012].

Kultermann,U., 1980. Architecture in the seventies. London : The Architectural Press.
O!e, M., 2005. Nemesta: Uvod u antropologiju nadmodernosti. Beograd:Biblioteka XX vek.

Perovi#, M. R., 2003. Srpska arhitektura XX veka: od istoricizma do drugog modernizma.
Beograd: Arhitektonski fakultet.

Tschumi, B., 2004. Arhitektura i disjunkcija. Zagreb: AGM.