Corporate Social Responsibility Hall at ZICER

Within the constrained space of the Zagreb Innovation Centre, a new hall for corporate social responsibility has been planned.

The central circular space of the new hall – a pavilion within a pavilion – is placed into the empty space of a square recess. The space is designed so that, alongside indispensable functionality, its shape, organisation, and choice of materials convey the values advocated by corporate social responsibility: sustainability, transparency, cooperation, and open communication, all of which has been achieved through the project design.

Through its form, the circle encourages dialogue, active participation, and interaction among participants. It is divided into two floors – the ground floor with a hall covering the entire surface of the circle with approximately 100 seats, and the upper floor with a smaller hall covering half the area of the circle, with half the capacity. The staircase and gallery are designed as a peripheral ring and touch the volume tangentially. In addition to providing access, this peripheral communication route allows for the observation of events in the large hall, as well as the connection of the entire interior space via the pavilion, thereby emphasizing inclusivity and a readiness to share knowledge and experience.

The structure of the pavilion is completely wooden, constructed from curved glulam beams with an emphasis on the temporariness of the structure and the possibility of dismantling and relocating it to another site. Dismantlability is further enabled by the introduction of a partition made of prefabricated cardboard tubes, which create additional tactility along the perimeter in the design. The tubes are filled by blowing in cellulose insulation and are individually mounted along the circular perimeter.