Architecture News

Studio C11 has implemented an innovative design concept for the Decathlon office in Zagreb, integrating the essence of various sports into the workplace environment. Each meeting pod within the office is dedicated to a particular sport, such as basketball, football, or cycling. This distinctive approach transforms the existing office space through architectural elements that reflect the character of these disciplines. Instead of relying on superficial decorations, the design team utilized specific materials, unique spatial configurations, and atmospheric conditions to evoke the feeling of each sport.

Led by architect Ana Vucković, Studio C11's design introduces a system of specialized meeting areas that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional. The firm’s vision was to differentiate various programmatic elements within the office by embedding sport-related spatial concepts directly into the interior structure. This methodology ensures that each zone offers a distinct experience, defined by its materials, geometric forms, and overall ambiance, reflecting the dynamic nature of athletic pursuits.

This pioneering office design seamlessly merges the world of sports with corporate functionality, offering a vibrant and engaging environment for employees. The thoughtful integration of sporting themes, from the choice of textures to the arrangement of spaces, fosters a dynamic atmosphere that encourages collaboration and creativity. This project serves as a compelling example of how innovative design can transform a conventional workspace into an inspiring hub that resonates with a company's core identity and values.

A distinctive red and white circus tent now graces an open area in Logroño, its pointed roof drawing the gaze skyward before merging with the surrounding cityscape. For Concéntrico 2026, Chilean architect Smiljan Radić presents 'Circo' as a transient architectural piece imbued with historical resonance. Its design reflects themes of movement, restoration, and the peculiar sense of community fostered beneath its textile canopy.

This installation is a key component of the festival's 'Identity and Fiction' program, which explores the urban environment as a tapestry woven from visuals, traditions, and shared narratives. Radić delves into this concept through an architectural form known for its mobility: the humble circus tent, capable of being dismantled, transported, reassembled, and filled with people within a short timeframe.

Smiljan Radić's inspiration for this project stems from the itinerant circuses that frequent Chile's central coast each summer. These modest shows often appear on local football fields or vacant lots, remaining for a few days before vanishing, leaving minimal physical traces. Their construction is straightforward and cost-effective, typically using inexpensive plastic sheeting, similar to the material found in large industrial bags. This material is integral to the structure's character; sunlight filters through it, its colors gradually fade with each journey, and the tent itself endures through the continuous repairs performed by its owners. In Logroño, this concept of delicate resilience is reinterpreted into a twenty-meter-diameter circus, repositioned and brightly colored for a chosen plot within the city.

While outwardly simple, the tent's internal structure reveals a sophisticated temporary system. A central mast anchors the circular plan, from which radial lines extend, maintaining tension across the canopy. Sections of red fabric punctuate the lighter material, creating a dynamic visual effect on the roof that shifts with the changing light. Inside, the atmosphere is informal and inviting, with screens interspersed among folding circus chairs. Joris Ivens' 1963 short film, 'Le petit chapiteau,' a seven-minute piece filmed in Valparaíso, plays asynchronously, adding another layer of artistry and memory to the constructed environment, merging moving images with the physical space.

Radić connects this endeavor to the work of Chilean artist Eugenio Dittborn, who dispatched large, folded canvases in plain envelopes globally during the dictatorship era. This comparison imbues the tent with both political and material significance. Much like Dittborn's 'Pinturas Aeropostales,' the circus can be packed, transported, unfolded, and placed into entirely new surroundings. This inherent portability is the essence of 'Circo.' The installation transports an architectural element typically found on the city's periphery to the heart of an urban festival. Utilizing fabric and projection, it crafts a space that, while temporary, feels profoundly present. Its structure is light, yet its symbolic weight is considerable.

Concéntrico has consistently employed ephemeral installations to redefine the public's interaction with Logroño, drawing residents and visitors into its squares, courtyards, and unused spaces with fresh perspectives. Radić's tent aligns perfectly with this ethos, leveraging a familiar form that evokes childhood memories, popular entertainment, and architectural innovation simultaneously. By positioning a Chilean circus tent in Spain, 'Circo' transforms a borrowed structure into a public interior. It not only pays homage to the legacy of traveling performances but also highlights architecture's power to briefly appear and reshape the perception of a location. For a few days, the city gains a fabric-enclosed room filled with air, imagery, and scattered seating, before the tent embarks on its next journey. This fusion of transient design and cultural storytelling offers a fresh lens through which to view urban landscapes and the communal experiences they facilitate.