Sports/City Hall, Bale

Photograph by Damir Fabijanic, Courtesy of 3LHD.

Bale (Valle in Italian) is a small place in Istria peninsula, Croatia with a largely agrarian population of 1000 people. The project for the new sports hall found itself in the midst of the rich historical, cultural and social Mediterranean context. Therefore, any new architectural intervention had to be respectful of the environment. The solution was found in interpreting the traditional ways of building using new technologies.

Photograph by Damir Fabijanic, Courtesy of 3LHD.

Photograph by Damir Fabijanic, Courtesy of 3LHD.

Inspiration for the structure was found in the small traditional stone hut - kažun, a small multifunctional building used as a shelter for shepherds that provides a cool environment in hot weather and insulation against the cold in winter.

Traditionally built without any cement or mortar, with carefully selected interlocking stones found on the site, this structure is a primitive example of prefabrication present in the Mediterranean since the prehistoric times.

The traditional-local-dry-stone-wall motif is used as a template/pattern for the whole surfacing of the sports hall.

On the other hand, being the second largest building after the church, the social importance of the sports hall for the town community is considerable, because, besides being a sports venue, it is used as a public facility for various social gatherings - from community meetings, trade fairs to watching the World Cup.

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