ARENA ZAGREB, CROATIA

Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav

Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

Arena Zagreb is the multifunctional indoor arena with 15,000 seating

capacity built to host the 2009 World Mens Handball Championship. It is
located in the south-western part of Zagreb, Croatia. Thanks to its iconic
design and position at one of the main city entrances, it has immediately
become a landmark of the city. Arena Zagreb is located in south-western part
of Zagreb, in Lanite district. When experienced in city macro-scale Arena
Zagreb is positioned at one of the city main entrances, as an extension of
Savska Street one of the main city traffic line axes as well as an extension
of Jarun Lake one of the main city recreation zones.

SHAPE AND FORM: An oval shaped arena inspired by strip/pleat

form
The unique shape of this building is strongly inspired by its significance in the
city context, and has been achieved by synergy between its architecture and
 structure. Oval has been a typical shape for most stadiums in the world for
the very simple reason that it gives spectators as many viewing angles as
possible.
It has 86 large pre-stressed, pre-fabricated concrete curved columns form
the main faade. They are mutually connected by an illuminate semi-
translucent double-skin polycarbonate envelope which enables various light
effects. Suspended roof structure is hanging from those columns leaving
minimum roof structure below roof level.

Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav

Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav

Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic
The main faade consists of ventilated semi-translucent polycarbonate
envelope that enables reduction in heat losses, secures daylight in circular
halls around the grandstands, and provides space for illuminate installation
of the main faade. This envelope is positioned between concrete curved
lamellas, whose white coloured surface by its reflection characteristics
prevents overheating as well. All other used materials were chosen by
taking into consideration their quality, wearability endurance all in terms of
maintenance costs, but also environmental friendliness.

Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav

Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

MULTI FUNCTIONAL DESIGN

Multi-functionality is achieved by many elements such as the flexibility of the
grandstand with its lower rows of retractable seats and curtain
partitions, creating the possibility of dividing the whole building in smaller
mutually independent spatial zones and by covering the needs of all types of
users and events. Also, other design interventions made a great contribution
to buildings qualities, such as preserving sufficient spaces reserved for
performers and event managers, providing simple and fluid visitors
circulation from entering point to the seats on the stand, organizing various
catering facilities, adequate acoustic interventions within the bowl as well as
providing sufficient roof bearing capacity capable to carry additional scene
equipment.
Arena Zagreb is designed for hosting numerous sporting, cultural,
entertainment and business events such as: handball, indoor football,
basketball, volleyball, indoor athletics, hockey, other sporting competitions
and also concerts, exhibitions, fairs, congresses and family shows. In order to
adequately accommodate such events, many supporting facilities are being
provided catering, sanitary, cloak rooms, offices and similar spaces; also
the small training hall with its own facilities and smaller multi-functional
spaces on the 2nd floor can be used for mini congresses, workshops and / or
lectures.

Also, other design interventions made a great contribution to buildings

qualities, such as preserving sufficient spaces reserved for performers and
event managers, providing simple and fluid visitors circulation from entering
point to the seats on the stand, organizing various catering facilities,
adequate acoustic interventions within the bowl as well as providing
sufficient roof bearing capacity capable to carry additional scene equipment.
No natural light is enabled in the main bowl except in case when the light-
proof roof sky domes are in open position which is of high importance for
matches to be played and for special events without light reflection
disturbance and quality TV broadcasting.

Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav

Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

VICINITY
By recent reconstruction of neighboring access streets, the whole area got
appropriate and well dimensioned traffic connection to the remaining parts of
the city, which includes also the city bus connection (tram connection
planned in the near future). Integrated in the mentioned reconstruction all
other infrastructure public facilities with adequate capacity have been
secured as well (water, sewage, gas, electricity). It is positioned in the semi
urban district with huge development plans, representing the central point of
the new planned shopping /entertainment center surrounded with new
planned residential zones.
This new multi-functional venue consists of 6 floor levels (1 underground and
5 above ground), covering total GBA of 90.340 m2 on a 29.540 m2 footprint.
The total cost of 1 square meter was estimated to be 850 including all side-
costs.

Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav

Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

In the one-level underground garage and on terrain level there are 926
parking places in total, plus 38 bus / obi-van parking places. The height of
the underground water prohibited the execution of additional underground
garage levels, and on the other hand reduced size of the plot didnt allow
planning parking on the terrain around the venue. However, it is planned to
use the 3.300 parking places in the nearby shopping center when finished,
which is the most common way worldwide to secure sufficient parking
capacity.
Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav
Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

URBAN CONTEXT
The chosen site is positioned in a previously undeveloped city district, with
few low budget social residential buildings and uncultivated fields the
narrow surrounding and the plot itself were more a dump yard then a field.
Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav
Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

Even after the Arena design was officially presented to the public, during
construction and especially after it ended, the surrounding area has really
started to develop rapidly and the Arena has become the highlight point of
the new planned shopping / entertainment complex surrounded with new
planned residential zones
This effect was additionally supported by the major road and public
infrastructure reconstruction around the plot in order to enable quality
vehicle and pedestrian access to Arena.
Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav
Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

In order to maximally integrate Arena in the future urban tissue, a richly

dimensioned main pedestrian approach platform with four main entrances to
the venue was planned. Due to its public pedestrian ramps and towards
platform oriented catering facilities it is becoming a public pedestrian cross-
road connecting the developing shopping complex and its landscaped public
square with the developing and existing residential part of that city area.
Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav
Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

SPATIAL AND FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION

Functional area partition follows the circulation routes of different users. In
the one-level underground garage and on terrain level there are 926 parking
places in total, plus 38 bus / obi-van parking places. The height of the
underground water prohibited the execution of additional underground
garage levels, and on the other hand reduced size of the plot didnt allow
planning parking on the terrain around the venue. However, it is planned to
use the 3.300 parking places in the nearby shopping center when finished,
which is the most common way worldwide to secure sufficient parking
capacity.
Underground level is mainly garage space approachable by 2 car ramps. On
the ground floor, there is a field of play with all necessary athletes-,
performers-, judges-, trainers facilities as well as the rentable office area.
The central arenas court can easily be transformed, depending on the
particular event needs. The 1st floor represents the main pedestrian
approach level with four main entrances to the venue. The visitors enter the
grandstand directly from this level or by rising to the 3rd floor and passing
through the circular halls with numerous catering facilities partly connected
to the pedestrian platform and usable also independently from the venue.
The 2nd floor is reserved for VIP-guests and media stuff they have their
own fully equipped spaces with possibility of multi-functional usage also for
conferences, workshops or congresses. The restaurant on this level offers
direct view to the court and can be used during events, and also
independently. The 4th floor is reserved for technical equipment, but is also
connected to catwalks distributed underneath the roof and used for
maintenance of lighting and loudspeaker devices assembled along them. All
described zones are mutually independent and equipped with sufficient
number of separated accesses with very clear users circulation system
quick and easy entering and exiting is perfectly secured, and mixing users
circulation routes is avoided. In order to make the circulation even more
comfortable, the color coding system was implemented.
Grandstand
The flexibility of this venue is the most visible by the grandstand
transformability. According to the main seating configuration for handball
competitions (also basketball, volleyball, tennis and indoor football) the
grandstand is covering 15.024 seats of which 151 incorporated for disabled
spectators. The lowest part of the grandstand is a zone of 15-row retractable
stands (26-row at the potential stage position) with 4.556 seats (plus
additional 132 free seats at the court level). The remaining part of the
grandstand is fixed and incorporates 10.336 seats divided on lower and
upper stand.
Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav
Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

This includes 314 VIP seats in front of VIP boxes. For other sports events
(table tennis, badminton, gymnastic, boxing, wrestling) there is a
possibility of putting additional seats at the court level, and for indoor
athletics, all telescopic stands must be retracted, which reduces the capacity.
Cultural and entertainment events (concerts, exhibitions, fairs) demand
the grandstand to be transformed in line with the requirements of the event
organizer, so the ground space can be used for additional seating or standing
places. If the nature of the event requires reduced seating capacity, the
upper part of the stand can be enclosed using the suspended textile
partitions.
Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav
Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

Acoustics
Respecting all foreseen events that are going to be held in Arena Zagreb, the
acoustic calculations and models gave the optimal solution for application of
various acoustic materials, which resulted with the well balanced space
acoustic in this venue. Combined with this a dispersed loudspeakers system
has been chosen for less demanding performances, otherwise the additional
equipment is to be installed depending of the wanted acoustic requirements.
Thanks to the hall acoustic expertise, the bowl is adequate for holding even a
London Philharmonic Orchestra concert.
Photo Courtesy of Davor Konjikusic, Robert Les, Vanja Solin, Tomislav
Ilickovic, UPI-2M, Miljenko Hegedic

INSTALLATIONS
The installation network follows the functional zoning, which also enables
their independent usage and usage of just a small part of the whole building
with installation functioning separately and independently from the
remaining building. Several electrical connecting points are positioned all
over the court, and floor channels for optical cables are spread over the
whole venue.
In the court, no natural light is enabled to avoid light reflection disturbance
for quality TV broadcasting. The light-proof roof sky domes, used for smoke
exhaustion, can be also manually opened and used for natural lighting during
certain events and maintenance period, and for natural ventilation.
The heating and hot water preparation is secured by gas boilers, and cooling
system by chillers placed on the 4th floor around the grandstands. The
complete HVAC system is programmable and flexible to fulfil several
exploitation scenarios. The volume of the court bowl that has to be air
conditioned is considerably reduced with the chosen structural solution of
the suspended roof. An additional element providing savings in energy
consumption in exploitation phase is the bank of ice, which provides
continuous and effective pre-cooling system. The garage is organized as an
open underground space with sufficient openings that secure natural
ventilation.
Whole building is operated by BMS that enables fine tuning of each element
and presents a cost reduction element.

STRUCTURE AND MATERIALS

The roof bearing structure consists of 23 suspended steel girders with
approximately 100m span, mutually connected with two stabilization spatial
girders and a network of catwalks. From this structure the load is transferred
to the pre-stressed concrete curvedly formed columns lamellas positioned
around the venues perimeter. They have been produced on the site with
support of the site installed concrete production plant and with usage of
filtered gravel material from excavation of the pit, by which unnecessary
transportation was avoided.

CITY CONTEXT
Arena Zagreb generated significant contribution to urbanity and
development of a neglected and undeveloped city area. It became a magnet
and a development trigger for the whole region.
The size of such venues, in comparison with the standard city scale,
implicates the significance they have in the global city image. Therefore,
sense of balance, good form design and structure in synergy with urban
context are the conditions to meet in order to enter the list of city emblems.
 Areas for MEPFs or as we call the back of the house facilities are
situated nearby corners for ease of access from two different
directions. Such areas are vertical aligned in every level.
The ground level serves as an entrance point for those who comes in
with private vehicles and buses and also an entrance for the
performers or athletes taking the event. It also features restaurant and
other commercial areas for other needs
The first floor provides the entrance for walk in guests and is directed
to the main arena
Like any other arena, it is given that it uses retractable seats as it hosts
various events which varies in court sizes whether in sports, concerts
or formal occasions