City market Lepoglava

Project year: 2015 Status: project Location: Lepoglava, Croatia
Project team

Zdenka Šarolić, dipl. ing. arh,
Matija Kokot, dipl. ing. arh,
Vedrana Biškup, mag. ing. arh,
Bruno Brković, građ.teh.

UNCONVENTIONAL MARKETPLACE FOR AN UNCONVENTIONAL TOWN

Lepoglava is a place whose reputation has been shaped by the penitentiary located in the heart of the town. In an attempt to distance itself from the acquired image and get reshaped into a small, modern town, fit for its inhabitants, Lepoglava is constantly in a search for good, innovative architectural solutions.

A marketplace is also set in the town centre, on a prominent location surrounded mainly by public facilities.  Its design jumps out from the surrounding buildings to emphasize the importance of the facility it holds. Corpus of the building consists of four arching elements that offer protection to outdoor and indoor parts of the marketplace. Arches are perforated at the point of contact with the ground, creating a membrane that permits free movement between the market and the surrounding public space. Arches that make up the front facade evoke elements of historical architecture, but in a decidedly modern expression. A specific design whose basis is a demanding load-bearing structure offers a perfect answer to the question of a new visual identity for a town that aims to break out of its imposed frames.