Badel Block is a site with its own identity. The objective in our project is to strike a balance between the configuration of this part of the city - by establishing a harmonic relationship with the surrounding urban fabric - and the construction of a monolithic building as an iconic landmark on the eastern edge of the Zagreb Lower Town. Our aim is to propose an architectural project that will create a free-flowing relationship with the city by incorporating various strategies so as to establish sundry links to the city.
The morphology of the project is the result of superimposing two separate but interconnecting systems. One is the ground floor surface that flows from the urban context and connects spaces and buildings freely within the competition area, as well as with the surroundings. Because of the size of Badel Block, there is an opportunity for a large construction but also for opening up new urban spaces. These urban voids can become animated public spaces that form connections within the area and to the surrounding city. The challenge is to generate a continuous system of public piazzas and green areas that will improve urban relations and quality of life in the contact area.
Secondly, we have a network of volumes above street level that integrates individual and social private spaces. The network includes existing and new buildings, generating a whole three-dimensional shape which becomes a symbolic reference of the Badel block site. The shape of each volume is related to the particular conditions of its surroundings. Vertical accent is given through the existing residential tower. We propose two more towers with similar heights, configuring a skyline for the area rather than an obelisk landmark, in order to preserve the horizontal character of Badel block.
The aim is to revitalise quality spatial relations in terms of providing a place for a range of social activities. The combination of urban public spaces and a mixed program yields a fluid continuation of city life.
Badel Block, Zagreb, Croatia
64,900 m²
8-16 storeys
2003
