NEW ZAGREB is the place to be, claim the authors GEERT DE GROOTE ARCHITECTUURKANTOOR of the winning proposal at Europan 10 competition in Zagreb, Croatia. Their project aims to enhance the relationship between New Zagreb and the waterfront. This should provide new uses and possibilities for the development of the area as a powerful magnet of urban activity. In order to reach this goal authors propose a strategy that will ensure a high urban and spatial quality, rather than a final result.
A dynamic public space forms the foundation of this project. The population of Zagreb is known for its investment in public space. Proof are the often frequented markets, terraces, squares, etc. Offering the possibility of unscheduled events is essential in this regard.
This proposal contains very different types of public spaces:
- The station square along Dubrovnik avenue facilitates the transition between different transport modes (train, tram, bus, motor vehicle, bicycle). The train station is located at the level of the rails on top of Dubrovnik avenue, this way creating an additional footbridge.
- The urban deck stretches out from Jadran bridge to the railway bridge at the level of the dike. The deck is connected to the pedestrian paths on the dikes and the pedestrian bridge.
- A continuous public landscape is connecting the station square with the urban deck. The public space is exposed to different demands: serenity and sensation, movement and stillness, buffer zone and connector. The section from Jadran avenue to the railway is interpreted as a sequence of alternating public and semi-public spaces of different scale and enclosure/exposure.
- Umbrellas are placed randomly through the site, generating shadow and meeting points.
The folds of the buildings define different types of spaces and varying degrees of the mix of semi-public and public spaces. The open areas on the ground floor will primarily have a public character. In order to ensure well-functioning exterior spaces, the entire masterplan is analysed in relation to daylight conditions. Based on the desired goals regarding sunlight in the squares and public spaces, we have carried out deformations of the linear structure in order to ensure daylight at the level of the public space.
The proposed high-density lay-out is able to combine office space, dwellings and a number of other functions with public and private outdoor spaces in a wide array of sizes. In order to exploit the advantages of each given location the functions are spread and mixed.
The different programmes aren’t thought of as placed adjacent to one other, but rather placed so that they often overlap each other in the same building complex. This means that we, in certain locations, have horizontal divisions with dwellings in the upper storeys, offices in the mid-storeys and shopping at the bottom.
At the location of the intervention zone, the traffic arteries are placed on dikes to simplify crossings with one another. Along the river a dyke protects the area from flood.
The intention is to establish a continuous landscape between Dubrovnik avenue and Sava river, using the differences in height to create covered parking spaces and to enable crossing of pedestrian- and car traffic without conflict.
Openings in the parking slabs make the connection between the deck surface and the levels of the parking below. The ventilation, escape and daylight of the car park is produced by the regular penetration of the deck inside the parking. Most of the exits can be done directly to the deck, making it a pleasant route in and out of the parking. Trees are planted at regular intervals through the parking.
Public passages are running through and underneath buildings, making them an integral part of the landscape, both as a topographical event and as an experience, trying to produce an environment where landscape and buildings become intrinsically connected.
Posted by: Eva Prelovšek
