Exhibition pavilion. An alchemical blend of light, materiality, and lightness

The exhibition space of the Đuro Đaković factory, placed on a lawn at the new Zagreb Fair, was Begović's only project that did not need to tie into the surrounding terrain—instead only into the planned transformation of the area south of the river Sava where the fairgrounds were located. This early work—like all his later work—was the result of meticulous preparations and numerous draft variants, finally resulting in an imposing design that made use of pure architectural means and the power of the space’s load-bearing construction; he configured the space to create significant interconnections between independent spaces, while still functionally considering its intended use as an exhibition pavilion. The extraordinary cantilevered design of the steel columns supports the roof construction, extending it far into the surrounding space. The glass envelope of the ground and upper floors remains mostly open, creating a sense of floating reminiscent of avant-garde art and Constructivist architecture (Tatlin, Melnikov, Vesnin), whose attempts at spatially negating gravity Begović placed special value on. He belonged to a generation of architects for whom Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona pavilion was the ultimate symbol of 20th-century architecture. Begović's pavilion creatively expanded upon these premises through his personal interpretation of the bold load-bearing structure, the visually open space, and the floating volume supported by powerful wings.