Situated in Rijeka’s quarter Zamet, the new Centre Zamet in complete size of 16830 m2 hosts various facilities: sports hall with a maximum of 2380 seats, local community office, city library, 13 commercial and service facilities and a garage with 250 parking spaces.
One third of the sports hall’s volume is cut into the ground, and other public facilities and services fully fit into the surrounding landscape. The main architectural element of the Zamet centre are ‘ribbons’ stretching in a north-south direction, functioning at the same time as an architectural design element of the object and as a zoning element which forms a public square and a link between the park on the north and school and B. Vidas street on the south.
The ribbon-like stripes were inspired by “gromača”, a type of rocks specific to Rijeka, which the centre artificially reinterprets by colour and shape. Stripes are covered with 51.000 ceramic tiles designed by 3LHD and manufactured specially for the centre. Steel girders of 55 meters span and different heights enable the natural light illumination of the sports hall.
The hall has been designed according to latest world sports standards for major international sports competitions. The concept of the hall is based on flexibility of space. Space of the field is size 46 x 44 meters, for two handball courts. The hall contains all the supporting facilities for professional training and competition, and auditorium designed as a system of telescopic stands enables the transformation for everyday use as well as for other activities such as concerts, conferences and congresses. Selected interior materials - wood and acoustic panels, suggests that hall is a large living room for athletes. The main access to the hall and other facilities is located west of the hall from the public square and from the underground garage.