Studentski restoran Pula

Pula, Croatia

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Studentski restoran Pula

Pula, Croatia

Firm

AD arhitektura i dizajn Pula

Type

Hospitality + Sport › Restaurant
Educational › University
Government + Health › Hospital

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2016

SIZE

3000 sqft - 5000 sqft

BUDGET

$1M - 5M

Pula University has commissioned AD arhitektura i dizajn to reinvent a decommissioned building as a lively student restaurant and meeting center.
As it currently stands, the building is a connection between the future campus and the existing University facilities.
The main aim of this project was to make a vital reconversion of the existing building, which is located in the western part of the ex-complex of the General Hospital in Pula. Its first use was a kitchen and staff restaurant of the General Hospital and later it was used as an archive building.
As witnesses of strict rules in conservation of traditional and historical buildings in Pula, the decision was to avoid drastic solutions and to bring contemporary approach in reviving of the existing architecture. This interlacing of the traditional principles and modern needs brought a new life to the building.
The building was built in the late 19th century, and repeatedly reconstructed: between 1924 and 1940; later in 1957 and 1985. As a building type, hospitals have an unfortunate propensity toward early obsolescence and therefore are often the target of adaptive reuse, if not total demolition. This has been the case in Pula, Croatia.
Considering a part of the General hospital has been relocated to another location, the unused buildings were assigned to the University of Pula. The state into which this building had fallen left only a part of their original layout.

Reconstruction Approach
The decisions made in this latest reconstruction are based on a combination of artistic, contextual, and informational values.
As a part of the Hospital complex and cultural heritage of Pula, the building is protected by Conservation Department. This caused the inability of major interventions on the facade of the building. After an analysis and the interpretation of this enclosure has been completely accomplished, the decision in agreement with the conservators was the addition of a glass element on the south façade and no other interventions on the existing structure.
The design retains architectural features of the original structure while incorporating new elements. The massive brick and stone exterior walls will be preserved by adding a new energy efficient envelope. Interior massive walls will also be preserved in order to keep the existing space organization and preserve the original roof structure.

Programmatic Organization
Through adaptive reuse, the former hospital kitchen and archives, an unoccupied building, becomes suitable for different types of use: student restaurant and cafeteria/pizzeria.

We started by mapping out units of space and ambient as a basis for development of the concept. So we divided the internal space into three zones: auxiliary facilities are located in the basement, student restaurant and the main kitchen is located on the ground floor, dining area and cafeteria/pizzeria on the first floor of the building.

Contemporary Intervention
In our effort to find the appropriate architectural articulation for this building, we try to interpret the appearance of lightness. New glass openings (addition on the south facade) multiply the framing and views on the landscape and the historic architecture, which become new attraction point for the students.