Biljana Arandelovic – författare

This book highlights Belgrade, reviewing its recent and historical developments and emphasizing its major ongoing planning projects. The book is divided into eight chapters. The first, entitled The urban, political and socioeconomic rise and fall of Belgrade through its history, introduces the reader to the city, and is followed by a chapter on Belgrade’s urban plans through history. The book continues with a chapter on one of the major urban projects in the former Yugoslavia, the construction of New Belgrade, its development and results, entitled New Belgrade: from no man’s land to modern city. In turn, the following three chapters explore three dominant contemporary topics: Belgrade’s riverfront redevelopment; Reimaging Belgrade: the case of Savamala; and Sustainable Belgrade. Expansion of the pedestrian zone in the city center. The book draws to a close with a chapter on Future predictions: South-Eastern European metropolis of the 21st century. This chapter in particular discusses large city projects and includes predictions about the city’s future.

Denise Scott Brown is best known as part of one of the most acclaimed architectural partnerships in modern architectural history, Denise Scott Brown & Robert Venturi. Together with Venturi, she ran the firm Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates (VSBA). Their architectural and urban planning designs, theories and publications caused a revolution in the world of architecture. Their most famous theoretical work, co-authored with Steven Izenour, Learning from Las Vegas, became a global phenomenon that marked the 20th century. Scott Brown & Venturi were also a married couple. However, in the traditional male-dominated architectural world, men were automatically put in leadership positions while the role of women was always underplayed, although they worked in equal partnership and made the same contribution. The role of Denise Scott Brown in joint projects, in the eyes of the public, was for decades diminished, while Venturi was brought to the forefront and celebrated as a genius. She never received due recognition for her work.

This book is entirely dedicated to Denise Scott Brown and gives her the credit she deserves. It informs readers about her life, analyzes her projects in both architecture and urban planning, and offers a better understanding of her theories. The seven chapters provide a comprehensive insight into the world of legendary Denise and complete the knowledge necessary to understand her as a true and authentic diva of architecture, an innovative urban planner, theorist and passionate professor. Chapter 8 is a comprehensive conclusion that rounds off the monograph through a shorter review of numerous topics covered in the previous chapters. At the very beginning of the book is a letter that Denise wrote to the author. Her words are an authentic testimony of her life after 1967. The book is richly illustrated with a total of 274 photographs, urban planning layouts and various project illustrations.