Film Studios in Kosutnjak a Step Closer to Reconstruction – DRP for Avala Film Complex up for Public Review

Two years after the announced investment of EUR 50 million by Avala Studios in the film studios in Kosutnjak, Studio 4, where the cult movie Underground was filmed, could be a step closer to reconstruction. With new facilities and features, Avala Film might be on its way to recapturing some of its former glory.

The Secretariat for Urban Planning and Construction of the City of Belgrade has put the study up for an early public review, on the occasion of the preparation of the Detailed Regulation Plan (DRP) for the Avala Film complex in Cukarica. The early public review is taking place at the City Administration building in 27. marta Street between June 29 and July 13.

As said, the priority goal of the plan is to create the possibility of the development of the film industry in Belgrade and Serbia and to create the conditions for the planning of the accompanying features, which would complement and support the development of the film center, such as, cultural, education, sports, commercial, business, residential and other features.

To that end, the Government of Serbia has pronounced the construction of these film studios with the accompanying features a project of national importance, in line with the Strategy of Development of Culture in Serbia from 2107 to 2027.

The facilities and complexes of the public services covered by the plan used to belong to “Filmski Grad” (”Film City”). These are the Yugoslav Film Archive facility, the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education complex, the Institute for Sport and Sport Medicine of Serbia – the swimming center (the Kosutnjak outdoor pools) and fire stations.

The plan covers a part of the territory of the municipality of Cukarica, of around 86 ha, namely, the area between the border of the spatial-cultural historical unit Topcider, the streets of Blagoja Parovica, Kneza Viseslava, Miloja Zakica, Miloja Zakica access 2 and Arcibalda Rajsa, the residential block along Miloja Zakica Street, Dimitrija Avramovica Street, the residential blocks along Vladimira Rolovica Street, with traffic and infrastructural connections with the existing and the planned networks.

Investments of EUR 50 million

The preparation of the DRP of the Avala Film complex was initiated by Avala Studios. The initiative was sent to the Urban Planning Institute of Belgrade.

The company announced two years ago that it would invest more than EUR 50 million in the reconstruction of the studio complex in Kosutnjak in an attempt to revive the film industry in Serbia.

The CEO of Avala Studios, Peter Dajko, said at the time that the company wanted to incite and release the potential of Belgrade and Serbia, as excellent locations with trained professionals and a rich film industry tradition.

He said that the construction of new facilities of over 52,000 m2 was planned.

– In the first phase, we will raise two entirely new studios of around 4,600 square meters, and the existing facilities, Studios 1 and 4, will be fully reconstructed. We plan to turn Studio 4 into a semi-public space, where cultural events would be organized.

On this occasion, he pointed out that, based on the experiences from the region, modern studios and gaining a position on the European film industry map could bring Serbia at least EUR 120 million a year.

S. Petrovic

Grad Beograd, Sekretarijat za urbanizam i građevinske poslove

Avala Studios d.o.o. Beograd

Urbanistički zavod Beograda

Avala Film

film studios

Studio 4

reconstruction of film studios

Košutnjak

filma industry

Peter Dajko