Western City Gate

FUN FACT: Brutalism is a architecture style that, contrary to popular belief, originated in England and not in Soviet union. They are really simple and have a lot of geometrical shapes and the materials used for it are timber, steel and glass.

The first building we will visit in this adventure is “Western City Gate” also known as “Genex tower.” It was constructed by Mihajlo Mitrović in 1977. And it was the tallest building for 14 years. The building was supposed to greet people that arrived to Serbia by plain but when it was built it got a lot of criticism for being “ugly.” Located in the New Belgrade, the western city gate, also known as Genex Tower, is a skyscraper that is considered a prime example of brutalist architecture in Serbia. The tower was designed in the late 1960s. However, Mitrović suggested two much taller buildings that would serve as recognizable symbols of the state's capital. Many disagreements soon followed. Nevertheless, Mitrović was persistent in his idea, and the construction of the western city gate began in 1971. The building stands 117,76 m tall, however, the two towers are not the same height. The residential tower has 30 floors, while the business tower has 26. They are connected by a two-story bridge on the 26 floors, with a revolving restaurant on top.