Aleksandar Nikolić Hall

The Aleksandar Nikolić Hall (Serbian: Хала Александар Николић, romanized: Hala Aleksandar Nikolić), formerly known as Pionir Hall (Serbian: Хала Пионир, romanized: Hala Pionir), is an indoor sports arena located in Palilula, Belgrade, Serbia. The official seating capacity of the arena is 8,000.[3][4][5]

Aleksandar Nikolić Hall
Хала Александар Николић
The venue's interior in June 2010.
Former namesHala Pionir (1973–2016)
LocationBelgrade, Serbia
Coordinates44°48′55.86″N 20°29′6.40″E
OwnerCity of Belgrade
OperatorTašmajdan SRC
Capacity8,000[1][2]
SurfaceHardwood
ScoreboardYes
Construction
Opened24 May 1973 (1973-05-24)
Renovated2019
Expanded2019
ArchitectLjiljana and Dragoljub Bakić
General contractorEnergoprojekt
Tenants
KK Crvena zvezda
KK Partizan

It was renamed in 2016 in honour of Serbian basketball player and coach Aleksandar Nikolić. The hall is well known for its frequent matches between different basketball clubs, especially Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade),Partizan, and foreign clubs.

Projected by Ljiljana and Dragoljub Bakić, the hall has been described as the "architectural icon of the postmodernist Belgrade".[6]

History
Red Star Belgrade players practice under the command of head coach Svetislav Pešić in 2008

Constructed in 1973 by Ljiljana and Dragoljub Bakić under a tight deadline, the modernist building won the architects a "Grand Prix of the Belgrade Architecture Salon".[7] The structure was noted for its use of repeated elements and natural light.

The arena hosted the final round of EuroBasket 1975, the final of the EuroLeague's 1976–77 season (in which Maccabi Tel Aviv defeated Pallacanestro Varese), and the FIBA EuroCup's 1997–98 season final.[8] In October 1989, the 16th World Judo Championships took place in Pionir Hall.[9]

The arena hosted several preliminary round games of the EuroBasket 2005 and 2013 World Women's Handball Championship.

On 23 February 2016, the name of the arena was changed from Pionir Hall to Hall Aleksandar Nikolić, after the former basketball player and coach, Aleksandar "Aca" Nikolić.

In April 2017, the arena played host to the Davis Cup World Group Quarterfinal between Serbia and Spain, with Serbia winning the tie 4-1 to advance to the semifinals.[10]

In 2019, the hall was thoroughly renovated, at a cost of €2 million euros. The renovation included new seats, telescopic stands, a new hardwood court and screens, new lighting, modernization of the ventilation and air-conditioning systems, and an increased seating capacity.[11]

Concerts
List of Concerts
1970s
1970s
1980s
1980s
1990s
1990s
2000s
2000s
2010s
2010s

See also

References
  1. izgleda NJEN DEČKO! BLIC VESTI BEOGRAD Vesić: Hala "Aleksandar Nikolić" dobila novo lice, mesta za 8.000 gledalaca
  2. Počela rekonstrukcija hale "Aleksandar Nikolić"
  3. izgleda NJEN DEČKO! BLIC VESTI BEOGRAD Vesić: Hala "Aleksandar Nikolić" dobila novo lice, mesta za 8.000 gledalaca
  4. Zablistao novi Pionir sa 8.000 mesta: Telegraf prvi ušao u renoviranu halu "Aleksandar Nikolić"
  5. Hala „Aleksandar Nikolić” otvara se 1. oktobra
  6. Radoslav Ćebić (31 May 2018). "Tiranija Beograda na void" [Tyranny of the Belgrade Waterfront]. Vreme, No. 1430 (in Serbian).
  7. "Ground-breaking Architecture | CAB".
  8. "HALA PIONIR". Tasmajdan.co.rs. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  9. "Watch 1989 World Judo Championships Video". Ovguide.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  10. "World Group Quarterfinal". Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  11. Počela rekonstrukcija hale "Aleksandar Nikolić"
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