An international competition for the design of a new science centre in Serbia has been won by a team from ZT GmbH Architekten of Graz, Austria, led by Wolfgang Tschapeller.

The competition was launched by the Serbian Ministry of Science and Technology and organised by the Union of Architects of Serbia together with the Association of Belgrade Architects. The brief concerned the design of the centre - a complex including exhibition and conference spaces as well as a planetarium - to be located on a 11.66ha (29 acres) site of which 20,915sq m (225,127sq ft) had been allocated for the construction of the new centre.

Competitors were also required to make proposals for the urban planning of the entire site as a science park, to become part of Belgrade's high-tech sector. The winning project - selected from a total of 232 entries - envisages the Centre for the Promotion of Science as a 'floating city', with only its supporting pillars and access walkways touching the ground.

The second prize was awarded to the Japanese group Sou Fujimoto Architects, and the third to the Serbian team ARCVS.