CONCEPT
This extraordinarily interesting location just off of the train station
square in the heart of Zagreb’s old city centre, seemed critical to
Zagrb’s new identity. The market across, the landmark houses
and buildings and the intricate courtyard model were all additionally
interesting notions for us.
We started with a green wedge as a SUPER roof for the new infill,
a sustainable insulating but also visually pleasing insertion. The
wedge defines the urban edges and introduces a porous centre,
and allows new programmatic insertions without losing its overall
power and urban attraction.
PROGRAM
The wedge introduces a strong urban form, which is then fragmented
and soften by programmmatic insertions. The introduction
of a museum of modern art in the courtyard and a boutique
hotel on the corner create anchors in the site and an intensively
used new urban centre. The hotel will provide great restaurant,
bar and spa services to both the city dwellers and the hotel guests.
Additional housing will create an opportunity to invite not only local
investors but also international investors. This will allow Zagreb
to get a new identity. Housing as intergral part of the identity of
the museum and hotel will introduce a new typology, living as
art, with extreme hotel services provided. perfect for the cultural
local and the international art lover. Of course a great example is
the Moma residential tower attached to the Museum of Modern
Art in NYC.
SUSTAINABILITY
The green roof will provide very well insulated slowly heating and
cooling environment. Further radiant floor heating provides an
energy efficient system, which will eliminate
radiators and allow the art to be climatized perfectly. The museum
of course will get extra air treatment. The housing will probably
need just the very well insulated roof and radiant floor heating.
FACADES
The facades of the wedge is a fragmented facade of stone and
glass, a new rhythmn which will create a more mysterious face
to the city, not just an imprint from the inside, but allowing each
apartment to be special, customized and different.