Rehabilitation of Brownfield Sites Declared as a Cultural Heritage: Opportunities and Challenges. Case Study: Sugar Factory in Belgrade

Abstract

Rehabilitation of abandoned industrial heritage sites can be a special opportunity, challenge and a driver of new possibilities for city development. Numerous examples of conservation, restoration and re purposing of such locations that have been implemented so far, demonstrate significant development potentials, that have influenced the culture, education, environmental, social and economic aspects of the development of the respective area. A case study in this paper is the Sugar Factory in Belgrade, which was declared as a cultural monument. The factory site is a unique industrial and urban area, located in the spatial, cultural and historic ensemble of outstanding value “Topčider”. The Sugar Factory is a monument of industrial development of the country and urban evelopment of Belgrade and one of the few preserved factory sites of the late 19th century. The oldest buildings in the area are also architecturally the most valuable. Common to all buildings in the area is vulnerability due to inadequate use, non-maintenance, neglect and decay. To preserve the inherited monument values and popularize the rehabilitation of industrial architecture, it is necessary to improve and recover the Sugar Factory, with the affirmation of the architectural and urban values of the area and its historical features. Starting from the premise that this cultural heritage should be treated as a unique architectural and urban site which, with adequate conversion and reconstruction, can earn a significant place in the tourist offer and cultural life of the city, the paper will consider the negative effects that result from withholding the current situation as well as problems to refurbish this site as a whole.