sustainability Article The Possibilities of Preservation, Regeneration and Presentation of Industrial Heritage: The Case of Old Mint “A.D.” on Belgrade Riverfront Marko Nikoli´c , Boško Drobnjak and Irena Kuletin Culafi´c*´ Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade, Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 73/II, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia; [email protected] (M.N.); [email protected] (B.D.) * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 28 May 2020; Accepted: 25 June 2020; Published: 29 June 2020 Abstract: This paper aims to explore industrial heritage of Belgrade that is located in the city center and therefore, has considerable potential for future architectural and urban development of the Serbian capital. The whole Belgrade riverfront area along the Sava and the Danube Rivers has a large number of abandoned industrial buildings that have significant value and need to be preserved and revitalized. This paper represents a research project conducted by lecturers at the Faculty of Architecture in Belgrade in the course History and Theory 1—Visual Culture in Architectural Theory and Practice. In order to provide productive research, we have employed the case study method based on the old Mint “A.D.”, which we have chosen as a characteristic example of Belgrade’s industrial heritage architecture. An important goal of this research is to provide professional information and raise public awareness about the importance and potential of industrial heritage for the future economic, cultural, social and tourist development of the city. This paper analyzes possibilities to comprehend the problems of the city’s industrial heritage protection regarding its historical and urban context, its genesis, authenticity, identity, cultural, architectural, economic, social, productive, creative and environmental values. According to that, the main goal of this research is concentrated on the sustainable preservation of specific cultural tangible and intangible values, spirit of the place, city identity and historic cityscape values that characterize industrial heritage in the social, cultural, natural and built environmental systems. Keywords: industrial heritage; Belgrade riverfront; protection; regeneration; sustainability; educational projects; environmental approach to architecture and urban design 1. Introduction Belgrade is one of the oldest cities in Europe, built on the confluence of the Sava and Danube Rivers. It is the intersection of Western and Eastern Europe. Belgrade integrates layers of rich historical and multicultural values, from prehistoric and ancient Roman times, through the Middle Ages, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian influences to socialist and post-socialist cultural heritage. In this rich cultural setting, architecture and city planning were always carriers of significant cultural, social and ideological values [1]. The area of Belgrade along the banks of the Sava and Danube Rivers has a large number of abandoned industrial facilities that have significant monumental value, which should be preserved and revitalized. Some steps in that direction have already been taken, and some industrial buildings and plants represent significant sights in the tourist offer of the city. In the last decade, the construction of new architectural and urban projects on the Belgrade riverfront has resulted in negative impacts on the cultural heritage of Belgrade and the historic cityscape, which contains a characteristic urban morphology and typology that is gradually declining. In order to stop this Sustainability 2020, 12, 5264; doi:10.3390/su12135264 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2020, 12, 5264 2 of 36 tendency and modify it in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, it is necessary to redefine the approach to protection and revitalization of industrial zones by creating a new approach to protection, conservation and construction in former industrial zones. This should be done while taking into account various value parameters, yet with respect for the tradition, authenticity and identity of these specific cultural spaces. In that sense, in the master academic study programs in architecture and integrated academic studies of architecture, in the course History and Theory 1—Visual Culture in Architectural Theory and Practice, we started a research project exhibiting the discovery of adequate opportunities for protection, revitalization and presentation of the Mint “A.D.” in Belgrade. Through various conceptual solutions, the students emphasized the importance of the cultural-historical, urban and architectural values of the building and its ambience. The goal was to define sustainable solutions that would protect all phases of development of the complex, while respecting the basic principle of protection and revitalization, which is based on preserving the authenticity and monumental values of each historic building. On the other hand, the proposals were aimed at a common goal—to reactivate the complex and make it useful—as well as to integrate it into its immediate environment. The students proposed a range of modern cultural, educational and artistic ways to use the complex, which would be in line with its character and significance, as one of the successful ways to realize its active future and inclusion in modern life. Unlike the total architectural heritage, which spans to hundreds or even thousands of years, the horizon of observing industrial heritage is narrowed to several centuries, even dozens of years. This is influenced by the following two facts: (1) Industry began to develop only a few hundred years ago, with an intensive rise in the second half of the 18th century, after the so called “industrial revolution” in England, and especially in the last few decades, following the progressive and accelerating development of new technologies in almost all areas of human activity; and (2) Industry itself, due to its properties, is “self-destructive”, i.e., in accordance with new technologies and new methods of work, it constantly innovates processes and removes, changes, and even destroys existing means of production and infrastructure, including buildings and the immediate environment. However, in addition to that, it is clear that there is a general social interest in preserving this time-limited and specific form of heritage, as a witness to the development of technologies and technical culture, for future generations. This interest is acknowledged all over the world, and serious measures have been taken in recent years [2]. The Industrial Revolution is considered one of the most significant events in human history that has strongly influenced human society. Therefore, all the material and intangible heritage related to industrialization represent extremely significant historical evidence of the development of technology and human society, which are part of the collective cultural history of mankind. In the 1950s, industrial archeology was formed as a systematic study of structures and artifacts as a means of increasing human understanding of the industrial past [3]. In accordance with legal acts and protocols for the safeguarding of world cultural heritage, the concept of industrial heritage is defined [2,4–8]. Industrial heritage consists of the remains of industrial culture which are of historical, technological, social, architectural or scientific value. These remains consist of buildings and machinery, workshops, mills and factories, mines and sites for processing and refining, warehouses and stores, places where energy is generated, transmitted and used, transport and all its infrastructure, as well as places used for social activities related to industry such as housing, religious worship or education [2]. Serbia is one of the late industrialized countries that was affected by the process of industrialization only in the mid-19th century. In Serbia, industrialization was associated with the process of creating an independent country liberated from centuries of Ottoman rule, which entered the united state of the Yugoslav peoples at the beginning of the 20th century. The industrialization of the country was one of the key pillars of economic progress of the young Yugoslav state between the two world wars, Sustainability 2020, 12, 5264 3 of 36 Sustainability 2020, 12, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 36 productionsand especially were after thelaunched Second Worldthroughout War, when the numerous SFRY according and diverse to industrial socialist productions principles were of self-governmentlaunched throughout [9,10]. the SFRY according to socialist principles of self-government [9,10]. At the beginning of the development of industria industrialization,lization, industries industries were were located located on on the very outskirts of city centers. The The wi widerder area area of of the the case case study—Mint “A.D.” “A.D.” (Figure (Figure 11)) —confirms—confirms this,this, where numerousnumerous industries industries were were located located in thein areathe ar stretchingea stretching from Belgradefrom Belgrade Fortress Fortress (the old (the fortified old fortifiedcity) to Ada city) Ciganlija to Ada Ciganlija (the Belgrade (the Belgrade Lake). Lake). Figure 1. MapMap of of the the Belgrade Belgrade and and the the position position of of the the Mi Mintnt “A.D.” “A.D.” Source: Source: Scribble Scribble Maps Maps (redrawn (redrawn by authors).by authors). By overcoming technologies, organization and and work processes, these industries were left with unresolved issues of ownership—abandoned,ownership—abandoned,