The position of aesthetics in the contemporary urban design in Serbia (M34)

Abstract

In this paper, the methodology of contemporary architectural and urban design and planning is discussed. The main standpoint is that architectural or urban form as a complex phenomenon that results from design activities should represent not only utilitarian-technical but also spatial-experiential and visual aesthetic elements. This issue has been widely discussed in the discourse of urban morphology where the urban form has been defined in its complexity. However, the practice of urban design and planning in the contemporary context in Serbia, but also elsewhere neglects most of the non-utilitarian aspects of architectural and urban form. The concept of the spatial order has been stated as the key point of introducing the aesthetic principles in architecture and urbanism, either through means of geometry and abstraction or through instruments of architectural and urban design competitions and other spatial checks provided by professional committees and wider debates. Some of the findings have been included in the debate on the upcoming National Architectural Strategy of the Republic of Serbia.