Exhibition pavilion. Buildings made of light
Begović's pavilion is an airy, light-filled structure with a visible structure—one that simultaneously absorbs and emits light. Steel-framed glass becomes a transparent membrane revealing the load-bearing structure, conveying a message about modern architecture. Its purity and lightness of construction, its steel skeleton and grey metal—materials that, like a drawing, define the frame and geometry of the building—as well as the use of cantilevered overhangs, long beams, and large glazed surfaces turn the building into a form resembling a sculpture: a building made of light. The space is large and airy, without a sense of confinement, with a top that floats above the imposing steel roof structure. It is an architecture without walls, doors, or windows, without visible barriers, wrapped in a glass membrane allowing direct contact between the interior and the surroundings, daylight, and an airy space. The structural system is fully visible from all angles. The space as such lacks a familiar determinant in terms of that bordered and defined by a solid element—walls. Here, there is a relationship between architecturally articulated space, free in its internal form, and free exterior space. The interior intermingles with its surroundings and spreads, conquering the exterior space. Night-time photographs reveal the power of the interior lighting in its full glory, dematerialising the building and turning light into form. A series of freestanding spotlights illuminate the view of the roof structure; this lighting, combined with the white colour of the cladding, gives the impression of a light, floating roof. There is a visible fascination with light—both daylight and night-time lighting. At its centre, there are light stairs climbing to the gallery, a platform that corresponds with the exterior space and the light drawn into the pavilion. The imposing dimensions of the space and the partly visible structure, dematerialised by a membrane reflecting Zagreb's sky, made it an impressive work in its time.
