Adaptive reuse project for the Schpizer castle in Beocin, Serbia

The old castle, one of the rare examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Vojvodina, almost 150 years old, quietly settles into the earth leaking, rotting, cracking. The building in the heart of the national park Fruška gora is suffering from old age and a number of wounds inflicted carelessly during its life. This building was once a residential villa of distinguished German family Schpizer. Years after years, it changed its function, from library, cultural center, radio station and eventually hotel with restaurant. Because of its incredible beauty, it was also used as a filming location for many famous movies. The moment of decay of the Schpizer castle in Beočin begins after its nomination for cultural heritage in Serbia in 1997. The Government of Republic of Serbia set many conditions for revitalization and adaptation of this castle that practically chased away all the possible investors. Very similar to the relationship of a doctor and his patient, most of the architects feel very protective about the buildings in bad condition. So do I. From the moment I saw this castle many years ago, I wanted to make a change and do something about it. The first part of this thesis is the detailed analysis of the castle through examination of its location, old photographs, damages, official technical drawings, which will contribute to the final point – adaptation of the Schpizer castle for the new use : Exhibition space with library and restaurant. With this thesis, I want to provide the best possible answer for the question that every architect has to make: What does the building want?