Shopping in a former quarry
Max City in Pula
A shopping experience like no other: A former coastal quarry in Pula has been transformed into a state-of-the-art shopping and entertainment center – complete with breathtaking views of the Adriatic coast.
The area surrounding the disused Max Quarry in Pula, Croatia, was to be revitalized and developed into an attractive destination for both locals and tourists. One of the greatest challenges was the site’s steep terrain, along with the need for seamless transport connections to the city center. The masterplan developed by ATP architects engineers provided the perfect solution – integrating a cutting-edge shopping center into the quarry’s distinctive topography and adding a new highlight to Pula for visitors enjoying their “down days.”
The continuous data collection and refinement within the BIM model enabled us to make precise construction forecasts. This allowed us to use the quarry’s steep incline to our advantage and embed Max City in this extraordinary setting – both functionally and architecturally.
Dario Travaš
Architect, Partner, Head of Design in Vienna and Managing Director in Zagreb and Belgrade
Sustainability
The energy concept focuses on the efficient and sustainable use of the building. To achieve an A+ energy rating, a gas space with a chiller system regulates heating demand. The chiller operates on a similar principle: it produces cooling energy, which is used, for example, for air conditioning. A climate chamber supports the system by maintaining consistent indoor climate conditions.
Futuristic facade
A key priority was to embed the shopping center into its local context: the building’s fragmented shape and layered coloration echo the contours of the surrounding rocky landscape. For the mall’s upper levels, we chose a modern, floating metal screen facade. Its reflective surface absorbs the vivid character of its surroundings, visually blending the building into the landscape mirrored on its surface. In contrast, the lower section of the building, which houses the parking garage, is defined by a robust and functional appearance.
In design terms, we were able to explore the “quarry” theme in many ways. The broken, futuristic form of the center mirrors the shape and stratified coloring of the rock. The large mirrored metal facade, on the other hand, reflects the surrounding Mediterranean landscape – including the Brijuni Islands, the majestic pine forest, and the harbor.
Dario Travaš
Architect, Partner, Head of Design in Vienna and Managing Director in Zagreb and Belgrade
