URBANIZAM I ARHITEKTURA

OPENING CEREMONY FOR THE COMPLEX OF SPECIAL PURPOSE FACILITIES – DETENTIONAND REHABILITATION CENTRE IN KRAGUJEVAC
DESIGNED BY JSC ENERGOPROJEKT URBANIZAM I ARHITEKTURA

Upon invitation from the Office of the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Serbia, representativesof JSC Energoprojekt Urbanizam i arhitektura, Marija Ibrajter, Technical Director, Amila Strujic, Project Manager, and Marija Radukanovic, member of design team, attended the opening ceremony for the new state-of-the-art prison complex in Kragujevac. Namely, on 15th of November of the current year, Ministerof Justice, Maja Popovic, opened the new complex of special purpose facilities – Detention and Rehabilitation Centre in Kragujevac, and the opening ceremony was attended by Tomas Bocek, Vice-Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank and Dejan Carevic, Director of the Administration for Enforcement of Penal Sanctions of the Ministry of Justice.

Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia initiated the project of Detention and Rehabilitation Centrein Kragujevac, prepared in cooperation with the Council of Europe Development Bank since 2009. Technical support was approved by the European Commission in 2009, through the Western Balkans Investment Framework. The value of the investment with fit-out was 30 million euros, out of which Development Bank credited 17 million euros. The initial concept reviewed by the Council of Europe Development Bank, has been prepared in accordance with the European prison rules and implementation of the best western European practice in prison building.

In the period from 2015 until 2020, the designers of JSC Energoprojekt Urbanizam i arhitektura participated in preparation of all design phases for the Complex of special purpose facilities on cadastral plot 3206/1, cadastral municipality Kragujevac 4. Construction of the complex commenced in December of 2019,but the works were suspended due to the modifications made in the first half of 2020. After the legal procedure of project approval, the works continued in July of 2020 and lasted until November of 2022. In the construction period, the designers of JSC Energoprojekt Urbanizam i arhitektura participatedin the capacity of design supervision. The prison, according to the authorities, can be compared with state-of-the-art prisons of the European Union.

The main use of the facility is accommodating persons deprived of liberty, with high level of security i.e.of high-security type, for a maximum of 506 prisoners, who would be serving penalties of 5 and more years. For this reason, this prison is equipped with special technical security and video surveillance systems. The idea was to build a secured facility, which could safely accommodate high-risk prisoners, in accordance with the standards equal to the ones in European prison practice, which will provide a suitable environment for a positive, active and expedient modality for the persons deprived of liberty, at the same time ensuring quality work environment to the employees.

The complex consists of 11 buildings with total gross area with reduced areas of 22.045 m², number of floors from ground floor to ground floor+2 floors, built-up area of 13,695.44 m², with yards on the ground floor in the service of the use of the facility. This prison has 265 rooms, including the rooms for persons with disabilities, hospital rooms and solitary confinement. In addition to this, a separate building for visits has been built, whereas the central facility houses medical block with several hospital rooms for minimal care patients (with ultra-sound and dentist’s office), sports block with basketball court and gym, as well asthe block for education with workshops for employment of prisoners. The complex has 11 walkways. Meals will be prepared in a modern kitchen and bakery.

Simple architectural forms and shapes suited to the intended use of the building create a unified architectural unit connected by the perimeter wall, as a dominant functional element. The use of contemporary and classical building materials (brick, concrete, aluminium, sheet metal, ceramics etc.) and compositional principles, enables interbalance in treatment of façade forms for different facilities in all buildings.

With implementation of this project, JSC Energoprojekt Urbanizam i arhitektira confirms in the best possible way and continues long-standing, successful business cooperation with the Ministry of Justiceof the Republic of Serbia, in design of the complex of detention and rehabilitation centres and prison hospitals throughout Serbia. Continuous contracting of new projects in this field is the best proofof the satisfaction of the client – Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia.