Zaha Hadid Architects to design the Nikola Tesla Museum with dynamic elliptical arcs emanating from the old factory chimney, inspired by Tesla’s studies of magnetic fields and wireless energy transfer

Belgrade, Serbia

After winning a international design competition, Zaha Hadid Architects, in collaboration with Bureau Cube Partners (BCP), has been selected to transform Belgrade’s historic Milan Vapa Paper Mill into the new Nikola Tesla Museum, aiming to preserve the site’s architectural legacy.

Originally built as the first modern factory in the area in 1924 by businessman Milan Vapa, the Milan Vapa Paper Mill was decommissioned and utilized as a storage facility before being abandoned about ten years ago.

With support from Belgrade Waterfront, the building—which is protected by the Belgrade Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments for its cultural and historical significance—will be transformed into the Nikola Tesla Museum.

In order to create a public area that is both accessible and useful, the proposal seeks to strike a balance between the preservation of industrial legacy and contemporary adaptations.

Tesla’s studies of wireless energy transfer and magnetic fields served as the model for the museum’s design.

A focal point of the site, the factory’s old chimney, is surrounded by dynamic elliptical forms in the concept.

The 13,400-square-meter museum’s central atrium, which is triple-height and anchored by the chimney, will be accessible to visitors via a new circular entry on the western façade.

The design incorporates ellipsoidal apertures carved into the internal walls of the factory to improve circulation and operation.

This creates interconnected rooms and extends sightlines from the western entrance to a Tesla memorial at the eastern end of the museum.

Interactive displays, immersive presentations, and galleries showcasing historical objects will all be located on the first floor.

In order to provide visitors with a variety of experiences, temporary galleries are designed to hold recurring exhibitions and events.

In order to showcase Tesla’s achievements, the museum will also have a Tesla Electronic Transformer Gallery with a 12-million-volt transformer.

In addition to exhibition spaces, the project includes visitor amenities such as a café, a multipurpose hall, and a rooftop restaurant offering views of the Sava River.

Surrounding the building, Nikola Tesla Square is envisioned as a new public space with pathways, gardens, and plazas inspired by Tesla’s concepts of electromagnetic fields.

The square is designed to enhance accessibility and connect the museum to the Belgrade Waterfront and the city’s broader transportation network.

The project aspires to integrate sustainable practices by incorporating passive design, renewable energy, and geothermal systems.

While seeking to preserve the paper mill’s historic façades, vaulted ceilings, and masonry, the plan aims to modernize the structure to support its new role as a cultural and educational venue.

If realized as intended, the Nikola Tesla Museum could become a significant landmark, celebrating Tesla’s legacy and providing a dynamic space for learning, innovation, and public engagement.

Project: Nicola Tesla Museum in Belgrade
Architects: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) and Bureau Cube Partners (BCP) 
Lead Architects: Manuela Gatto and  Milan Rašković
ZHA Design Team: Besan Abudayah, Thomas Bagnoli, Armando Bussey, Alicia Hidalgo, Panos Ioakim, Jung Yeon Kwak, Catherine McCann, Yevgeniya Pozigun, Houzhe Xu, and Zixin Ye
BCP Design Team: Danijela Bakic, Milos Bojinovic, Nadica Davidovic, Ana Maria Gaspar, Milena Ivanovic, Milena Kalinic, Sasa Kostic, Sanja Kostic, Bojana Maksimovic, Zora Pajcin, Aleksanda Stevanovic, Ana Suman, Nikola Umicevic, Sara Vasic, and Stefan Jovanovic
MEP Engineers: Conventus Consultants d.o.o
Client: Belgrade Waterfront
Renderings: Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA)