Margaret Arbanas

The stadium is almost entirely embedded within a raised park landscape, from which only a circular public rim, lightweight membrane structure and large central oculus emerge. Radial cables connect a lower tension ring with an upper compression ring, while a northern incision opens the seating bowl toward Maksimir Park. In the survey area, the landscape continues southward through meadow roofs, winding promenades and sports facilities integrated into the topography, linking the park, Svetice and Borongaj. For the second round, the jury established additional evaluation criteria. These included the urban concept, the quality and feasibility of the proposal, the integration of buildings and public spaces, and the organisational and formal qualities of the individual buildings, with particular emphasis on the stadium proposal. Generic or overly expressive structures that strongly defined the stadium’s identity but presented significant challenges in terms of construction or cost were considered less appropriate to the programme and context. The same applied to high-maintenance materials and an excessive reliance on vegetation within the stadium. The possibility of phased construction was also an important criterion for elimination, while the jury continued to recognise the architectural quality of the programme’s articulation.