In the proposal for the Badel Block competition, WAU Design considered the site and its position as an opportunity to create a new center for the locals as well as a new entrance for the city through the ‘Communities of a Single Roof’ design. Considering the relative lack of public space and facilities in the neighborhood, they propose to extend the square and the market inside the Badel block and enlarge the space devoted to culture and leisure in order to strengthen the sense of community and centrality. More images and architects’ description after the break.
Our building will become the setting of a new covered public plaza where various facilities will be shuffled together providing a large selection of opportunities of interactions. Similar to the booths with fruit and vegetables of the market located opposite to the site, small buildings of similar dimensions, pillars of the roof construction, organize the area and a combination of passages, courtyards, squares and terraces all along a continuous public space.
The distillery becomes the central space and hearth of the site, linking all together the main public spaces of the new building. As an extension of the small buildings on the plaza, the upper part of the building locates larger facilities, at the scale of the district. It unifies the plaza and provides a huge shelter to the public expressions. Under a colorful 15m high ceiling, street life can spread and flourish.
Generous volumes into the roof allow the plaza to continue inside the building and facing the Zagreb cityscape, as a stage being seen, and giving to see unprecedented views At the very top of the building, the 100 m tall residential landmark show the main building entrance and integrates the market and the Kvaternikov Trg Square area in the Zagreb skyline.
Architects: WAU Design Location: Zagreb, Croatia Team: Linshou Wu, Etienne Champenois Function: Building and public space Site Area: 64 ha. Project Area: 65,000 m2 Design Period: 2012
