Italian architects Tommaso Fantini and Alberto Rossi, whose project won the tender for the new Maksimir stadium, gave an interview to RTL journalist Ivan Skorin in the model workshop of the Faculty of Architecture. It has been 40 days since it was revealed what the stadium should look like, and the whole of Croatia is discussing it in public — from the Prime Minister to the Bad Blue Boys. Criticism ranges from claims that the stadium looks like a toolbox, to fears that fans will get wet, to calls for the tender to be annulled.
The architects explained that they started from the spatial level, from the scale of the landscape and the urban structure of the city, all the way to how the lines and fabric of the city look. As architects, they said, they were fascinated by the architectural innovations of the old Maksimir. They imagined that the stand would again be the key point. The stands appear to float, but are very well connected, overlap and provide protection from rain and shade.
They were decisive on the issue of coverage: the stadium had to have all seats covered and all are covered. The roof, they emphasise, covers the entire stadium. They have never seen open corners as completely open stands because the surfaces overlap one over the other. Drafts, they believe, will not be so problematic. They do admit, however, that there is a percentage of exposed seats depending on the direction of the wind, but note that even in a circularly enclosed stadium, if rain falls from the side, you get wet.
Asked about changes, they replied that they would not talk about changes, but about the implementation of the existing project. They saw memes and comments that the stadium is a toolbox. It was, they say, interesting to see how many qualities people found in the project. They understand the comparison with a toolbox and it is not a problem for them. Some memes are, from an architectural point of view, a positive thing, and the fact that everything is simple and clear is almost a compliment to the whole idea.
The architects stated that they would have liked to come and talk with the city, the Government and the fans in the week after the first publication. The Prime Minister openly criticised the stadium, and an official public procurement control is underway. They would not speak of another opportunity because everything is still in progress, but they convey that it is not lost and that it is important. In the initial phase, there was no detailed discussion about how people would feel when they visit the stadium, but they are confident that the overall context and the foundation of the idea will enable a very intense experience.
In conclusion, they stated that you cannot build the future if you are not optimistic. They conveyed that they are still optimistic and that they have confidence in the process, institutions and everything else.
