Vedran Pedišić, Mladen Hofmann (SANGRAD architects), and Emil Špirić and Erick Velasco Farrera (AVP_arhitekti) shared with us their winning proposal for the New Zagreb Crafts Centre Competition in Croatia. The architects presented an introverted island organized around the central public communications and spaces.
See more images and architect’s description after the break.
The ZCC (Zagreb Crafts Centre) forms part of the urban grid that is expanding towards the south-western part of the city, specifically located on one of the key access points of Zagreb. Within this particular context, the ZCC is surrounded by important city icons such as: the Arena Zagreb, the hospital school, the Zagreb thermal baths and the Sava river. Thus, the project aims to become a emblematic element in the shape of a vertical body that accents its morphological status as a new urban symbol of the city.
The project was thought as an introverted island, organized around the central public communications and spaces. The relation of the “island” towards its surroundings is given by the plot’s character: alluvial terrain with 3 of its faces limited by principal traffic arteries and the forth one by a protected water-system zone. Thus, a specific microclimate is generated, a platform that contains all internal communications and spaces which are oriented towards an internal “square” opened towards the northern green surface and Sava river.
The basic and simple geometry of the ZCC parts from the idea of having two main bodies: a horizontal and vertical volumes. The horizontal platform which was divided in several boxes containing the following spaces: Hotel, bank, school, administration spaces and commercial centre. Each one of these boxes are oriented in different ways and also posses diverse qualities (height, openness, etc.), which grouped generate an internal micro ambient within the ZCC. On the other hand, the vertical tower, with a system of free-plan floors, will house the Zagreb city’s office needs, thus becoming an urban reference for its height and configuration (when built will be the tallest tower in Croatia). Below the horizontal platform are located the parking floors (1,115 parking spaces) and workshops for the craft school.
The special character of the Centre will make possible several activities for the Zagreb Crafts Chamber, like: festivals, exhibitions, specialized opening for stores and craft workshops for the public, etc.
