"Escape" to five-star island near Belgrade - Danube Grand Hotel & Resort revives Smederevska Ada

Luxury floating cottages, hotel, marina, beach, tennis courts and golf courses on an island near Belgrade. An ideal place to escape to from the urban jungle, a shelter from heat, a space where you can enjoy yourself. A five-star tourist-recreation-business complex in a natural oasis. This is how Smederevska Ada, once the gathering place of numerous tourists and now a deserted island, may look like in few years. The company Dash Architects came to the idea to revive this island in the vicinity of the capital city and developed a preliminary design for the complex Danube Grand Hotel & Resort to offer it to global investors.

- Dash Architects have recognized huge potentials and breathtaking values - the location on the Danube of national, European, cultural and tourist significance, with the aim of developing a sustainable and feasible exclusive business, tourist and recreation complex. This is an opportunity for the creation of a new image of Serbia as the European and Balkan leader in the field of river tourism. We have found a perfect place that we believe is going to be interesting to investors. It is the island Smederevska Ada, which is situated opposite to Smederevo and belongs to the municipality of Kovin. This island may be a perfect place for an all-season hotel and resort – Sandra Draskovic of Dash Architects announced for eKapija.

The island spans 18 ha, while the tourist complex built according to the design of that company should occupy an area of 2 ha.

- We have occupied the pointy side of the island because it will be the most attractive for incoming ships. That part of the island is also suitable for bathing since it is similar to Bela Stena or Lido. Some other part of the island could also be developed, but we should also take care of the ecosystem.

According to our interlocutor, Smederevska Ada had as many visitors in the 1970's as Ada Ciganlija has today, and it is now deserted because of the construction of Djerdap, which raises the level of water.

- The problem with the island is that it is flooded whenever the level of water rises, but our plan is to direct water to a canal that would stretch to the center of the island. We plan to have luxury floating cottages of different size built on the island. When someone comes to an island for rest, recreation or a professional gathering, he or she wants to experience the feeling of escape to a brand "new world". For that reason, the concept of accommodation of guests is such that all floating cottages on the water and bungalows on the land will be independent from each others. We suggest that floating cottages and bungalows should be put up for sale, and not only rented out, because it would ensure bigger profits for the investor and there would be visitors on the island during the whole year. That will be a rare opportunity for people to have a floating cottage on an island and to be able to reach it by boat from other countries – said Draskovic.

According to the project, the only building on the island is a hotel with an interesting look. The base of this hotel is a triangle whose surface is increasing toward the top of the building. In that way, the hotel resembles a whirlpool, which is a common phenomenon on the Danube. That is why this form is taken as a symbol of establishment of a new link between people and the Danube river.

- The hotel should comprise 100 rooms. Each room will have a spacious balcony. There should be five or six floors. One entire floor is planned to host a restaurant for all guests on the island, another floor will be occupied by other restaurants, a bar, a space for kids and other contents. A contemporary conference center and business premises will occupy another floor. Also, the hotel will comprise a wellness and spa center with a swimming pool. A wine deck - an open-air balcony with the view of the Danube, will be situated on the top floor.

If the investor decides to maintain the luxury of privacy, this oasis will be open only for tourists who plan to stay on the island for more than one day, but Draskovic is of the opinion that the complex will be the most sustainable if it is open for local tourism as well. In any case, the emphasis should be put on preservation of the existing biodiversity and creation of highly self-sustainable complex on the basis of ecological and sustainable construction.

The marina is expected to be big enough for 80 smaller boats. There should also be certain recreational facilities on the water, as well as on the land.

- Our project envisages construction of numerous sports facilities at the beach, for water sports (kayaking, fishing), as well as trim tracks and bicycle trails. Depending on the market demands, a tennis camp or a golf course will be opened on the island – said Ms. Draskovic.

Dash Architects presented the project of this complex at expos Mixer and Rebec.

- Our next step is a conference in Abu Dhabi. We will offer the project to big investors and large hotel chains. We have already spoken to a German hotel chain. Since the construction works will be carried out in phases, several investors can take part in the project implementation.

S.O.