French Pavilion Restoration

The first concert program of the 2009 MBZ, a performance by the french jazz ensemble Sylvain Kassap Trio, sought to initiate the restoration of a rare example of international modern architecture in Croatia, The French Pavilion, located within the Student Centre complex.

 

Within the Student Centre complex (Savska 25) there are examples of international modern architecture in Croatia, and the most important one is The French Pavilion, built in 1937 for the purposes of Zagreb Fair. The Fair moved to its current position on the south bank of river Sava in 1957, and the complex in Savska Street became the Student Centre.

Built by French architect Robert Camelot, engineer Bernard Lafaille and Zagreb constructor Vjekoslav Faltus, due to a genius implementation of their architectural knowledge, the French Pavilion became a part of school textbooks and overviews of twentieth-century most interesting architecture. The legend says that Lafaille proved the security of the roof construction in the shape of reversed metal cone to skeptics by driving a bicycle on it.

There is no doubt that the complex in Savska Street deserves more attention because of its looks alone – shabby, but preserved pavilion architecture made by famous European modern architects has a comparative value more important than many other university institutions of the similar profile.

The soon-to-be restoration of the Pavilion is the beginning of understanding the importance of status and potential of such space in the city, the same as its present condition testifies what happens to objects that remain without their function, purpose. In that sense, culture does not improve society and cities with art projects alone, but it also revives and animates public spaces.