Today, the well-being of employees is increasingly taken into account, which changes the trend in furnishing new office premises.
According to experts, the demand for office space in Belgrade is extremely high. However, walking through the city’s downtown area, one can notice that there are a large number of business premises that, despite being in prime and exclusive locations, are still empty. Images of graffiti-stained storefronts and locked doors indicate an economic crisis, but they can also be a sign of changes in the mood of business users. The relocation of business activities from the city centre has been going on for a long time, and over the last decade, Novi Beograd has transitioned from a mass housing neighbourhood to the city’s business epicentre.
Numerous buildings with offices are springing up along Heroja sa Košara Boulevard and Milutin Milanković Street. Also, the skyscrapers that are being rapidly built in our capital mostly consist of office space intended for rent. Large foreign companies that are opening their branches here lease space in these new buildings.
During the pandemic, many people worked from home, so the habits of both employees and employers changed significantly
According to experts, Belgrade had over one million square metres of business space, of which about seven percent is unused which, in turn, leads to an increase in the rental prices. There is also a noticeable trend in demand for larger premises, as well as convertible office space and open concept space. The current construction trend is impressive and over 250,000 square meters are under construction in many buildings.
Hubs for freelancers
Business hubs have become one of the more interesting trends in Serbia. Premises equipped for business with plenty of amenities, common rooms, meeting rooms and technical rooms are rented to freelancers who rent a workplace (desk). On such premises, they carry out their activities with minimal business costs. Numerous skyscrapers currently being built in Belgrade have a dual purpose and are described as commercial and residential spaces. Certain floors are intended for housing, a number of square metres are reserved for luxurious common facilities for property owners and tenants, while some floors have office space for rent.
Working from home
During the pandemic, many people worked from home, so the habits of both employees and employers changed significantly. Although, at first glance, it may sound like a good solution which was certainly forced during the pandemic, working from home is not so popular with either employers or employees. The biggest problems that people working from the home face are the lack of working atmosphere, exchange of ideas with colleagues and difficulty in organizing meetings. In recent months, there has been a noticeable trend of workers returning to offices, and this is something that the construction industry is anticipating. Working from home also had its good sides – comfort and leisure, which contributed to increased productivity and a better mood in employees. These habits do not have to be sacrificed when the workers return to the business premises and that is why today the construction industry is taking this on board more when designing new business premises.
Open concept
Almost all office space that is being built in Belgrade at the moment envisages an open concept that should provide greater comfort to workers. It often happens that these new offices are equipped so that workers no longer have their own desks, but instead use numerous work surfaces that are available to them to suit their current mood.
The relocation of business activities from the city centre has been going on for a long time, and over the last decade, Novi Beograd has transitioned from a mass housing neighbourhood to the city’s business epicentre
Everyone can sit where they want. In this way, workers can be grouped arbitrarily according to the needs of the job. There are separate rooms for meetings. The interior is arranged so that there are no classic chairs, but different armchairs and sofas. Much more thought is given to the well-being of employees than before. Such spaces are becoming increasingly common, and in Belgrade, we have numerous examples of these spaces in buildings that are currently being built or renovated.
New buildings
The current construction trend is impressive and there are over 250,000 square metres of real estate under construction. This summer, a building known as “Three Tobacco Leaves” was finally opened in Belgrade on the corner of the Kralja Aleksandra and Kneza Miloša boulevards. A large office building was built 11 years ago on the site of the once iconic Belgrade tavern of the same name, but for an unknown reason, it was not completed until now. Today, this is a modern, representative building that is considered an A-class business building with a two-level-underground garage, a ground floor with business premises and eight floors with galleries. The facility spans 8,700 square metres of office space available for rent. The symbols of Belgrade and buildings that are under the protection of the state, such as Beogradjanka and BIGZ, are being renovated, and after the reconstruction, they will become Class-A business premises. Numerous skyscrapers from Skyline in the Kneza Miloša Street to West 65 Tower in Novi Beograd are also being completed, and the construction of many new office towers and office buildings with a dozen floors is also planned.
