Zaha Hadid Architects and Bureau Cube Partners selected to design the new Nikola Tesla Museum with restoration informed by the inventor's studies

Zaha Hadid Architects, alongside Serbian architectural studio Bureau Cube Partners, has been selected as the winner of the Nikola Tesla Museum design competition.

The anonymous design contest sought architectural and urban conceptual designs for a new museum dedicated to celebrating visionary engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla. Located in Belgrade, the museum is situated within the historic Milan Vapa Paper Mill.

The proposal includes the renovation of the site, which was originally constructed in 1924 and served as the nation’s first modern factory. The design team’s adaptive reuse of the roughly 144,236-square-foot structure aims to preserve its industrial heritage while upgrading its indoor and outdoor spaces, with improved accessibility from the city.

The museum’s design draws on Tesla’s research into magnetic fields and wireless energy transfer. Dynamic elliptical curves radiate from the building’s dominant feature, the old factory chimney, which were informed by concepts of magnetic forces and interconnectivity. 

The design features a new circular opening in the factory’s western façade. This will serve as the public entrance leading visitors to a triple-height central atrium that is anchored by the chimney. To enhance circulation and functionality, ellipsoidal sectional openings are set to be carved within the walls that divide the old factory’s interior. These openings will define a series of three-dimensional spherical voids that create an extended view throughout the museum.

Visitor amenities at the museum will include a cafe, a multipurpose hall, and a rooftop restaurant that provides panoramic views. The first floor galleries will incorporate historical artifacts, interactive displays, and immersive presentations, while temporary galleries will host an ever-changing program of exhibitions and events.

Outside, a new public space called Nikola Tesla Square, which is inspired by Tesla’s concepts of electromagnetic fields, will include flowing pathways, gardens, and plazas. These features will enhance accessibility and connect with the Belgrade waterfront and the city’s transportation network.

The proposal minimizes ecological impact through passive design, as well as the use of renewable and geothermal energy. The paper mill’s restoration also preserves its historic façades, vaulted ceilings, and masonry.