Directly on the banks of the Sava, the great river that flows into the Danube in the Serbian capital, one of the most modern urban districts in the Balkans is being created. Belgrade Waterfront, a city within a city, has been developing from a construction site into a district of the future since 2015, featuring apartments, offices, hotels, a shopping mall, and several schools. Playing a pivotal role in the country's largest construction project is Xella Srbija, contributing not only as a supplier of Ytong, Multipor, and Silka. Project manager Aleksandar Đikanović and his team have not only succeeded in convincing a country that loves clay bricks of Xella's white blocks. For many project partners, he and his Serbian team have established Xella as a valued local consultant whose advice counts.

How to attract an investor

Xella Srbija knew that there would be a lot of resistance due to tradition – and that it would not be possible to convince without the outstanding qualities of autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) and calcium-silicate units. But how do you reach key investors who are far away from everyday encounters? Project manager Aleksandar Đikanović had been in contact with the architects responsible for the new district since the initial planning stages. Although Serbia is known for its clay brick walls, he knew from the start what the demand for modern buildings was and how to meet it: "We are developing a lot of good solutions for sound insulation and thermal conductivity for the facade wall," he explains.

Growing demand for sound insulation

Xella has long responded to the need for silence in Serbian homes by setting up a sound laboratory in the Xella Serbia plant in Vreoci near Belgrade, where various solutions are researched and developed - whether inside or between apartments, for the facade wall, and the corridor, or elsewhere.

As an architect himself, Đikanović is very familiar with the various objects: "We have maybe 42, up to 50 different types of soundproofing systems that we have managed to produce," he knows. Many of them have the additional advantage that they can be installed more quickly, which shortens the project duration and thus saves money - also for the project participants at the Belgrade Waterfront: "Those who have used our products have quickly realized that this is definitely something we could use more often during the project," says the Serbian project manager. Not least due to other special features such as fire resistance or good thermal conductivity.

Routine work with BIM

As everywhere in Europe, BIM work is on the rise in Xella Srbija. BIM is a working method in which all project participants work together on a digital twin of the constructed building. Xella has also been able to win over investors with this expertise - because it allows all costs to be calculated with just a few clicks, and the whole process is faster and less error-prone: "Working in BIM is a very big issue for the general contractor," says Đikanović.

Because Aleksandar and his colleagues were able to prove all the features with technical documentation, they paved the way for many projects. "In Serbia, a good selection of products is very important because every investor has different requirements," he explains. The easy installation of Multipor on the ceilings was also appreciated, as well as the good cutting properties and waste savings achieved with Ytong.

Xella as an experienced solution provider

And Xella's performance doesn't end with excellent products. Đikanović and his colleagues have made a name for Xella on the ground as an experienced solution provider: "Every week we are at the construction site, talking to the main contractor, the subcontractor and the construction workers on the building." Their mission: to solve all kinds of problems that arise in the course of day-to-day business - with success to date. "They are experiencing Xella as a system provider from start to finish. And that is why they keep asking us to participate in more projects at the Belgrade Waterfront." Đikanović and his colleagues are now involved in more and more new projects - and the Belgrade Waterfront project is far from over. Xella will continue to bring its white blocks to people and homes.