Trade Fair and Congress Center / SHORTLISTED
Architectural Competition
[ Competition For Conceptual Urban And Architectural Design For The Trade Fair And Congress Centre ]
Team: Batuhan Kumru, Aslıhan Kumru, Mehmet Erdönmez, Ayça Bel, Bora Kaçar
Location: Podgorica
Year: 2025
Design Concept and Site Approach
The project envisions a multifunctional, flexible-use fair and congress center in the industrial transitional zone on the periphery of Podgorica. The design aims to create not only a physical threshold, but also a social anchor that resonates with the city’s collective memory—merging a fluid landscape strategy with a strong architectural identity.
The site is located on the edge of the city, in a region characterized by agricultural lands and production facilities. To the south lies a tobacco factory, to the west a wine production plant, to the northeast a wholesale market, and to the north, a large urban park with sports facilities. The eastern boundary is defined by an undeveloped area that continues into uninterrupted agricultural land. Dense pine woods exist to the northeast, with a sparser tree texture along the east.
The site’s southwest–northeast orientation informed the overall layout. The site is divided into two zones: a compact architectural configuration to the east and a generous recreational landscape to the west, ensuring integration with the adjacent urban park. This approach establishes a continuous and open public space along the building’s urbanfacing edge.
Large-scale program elements—such as the exhibition and congress halls—are located along the eastern boundary and connected by a linear foyer axis. Opposite the foyer, spaces like restaurants, offices, and commercial units enrich the public realm and activate the landscape. By keeping large volumes in the background and placing more human-scaled, permeable structures in the foreground, the project enhances its interaction with the recreational zone to the west.
The architectural layout is organized into three parallel bands:
• A FOYER at the center, acting as the main axis that connects all functions
• A HANGAR to the east, containing the exhibition and conference halls along with a service core
• A SHELL to the west, opening toward the city, integrating with the park, an welcoming public life
These three bands are articulated on the façade as three distinct walls, each reflecting the program it contains. The architectural mass of the hangar is scaled down through gradual transitions and shifting planes.
FOYER
The foyer acts both as the symbolic gateway and the connective tissue of the building—linking all functions and unifying interior and landscape. Its characteristic, valley-like geometry, enhanced by internal bridges, lends a distinctive identity to the space. Bathed in natural light, the expansive atrium features linear skylights that create a dynamic atmosphere throughout the day, guiding daylight and enriching the spatial experience.
Beyond circulation, the foyer serves as a venue for exhibitions and social interaction. Pivot doors on the ground floor allow temporary events to expand toward the landscape. The integrated amphitheater establishes a visual and functional link to the restaurant, offering a public dining experience with views over the park.
HANGAR
The hangar is envisioned as a flexible event container housing the Exhibition Hall and Conference Hall. The Exhibition Hall is designed to accommodate a broad range of large-scale events such as trade fairs, conventions, concerts, performing arts, sports events, festivals, and weddings. A 30-meter column-free span, achieved with 3-meter-deep trusses, supports flexible planning and diverse spatial arrangements. North-facing transparent polycarbonate panels placed between roof trusses provide consistent daylight, while the southern sections remain opaque to block direct sun exposure.
The space can be divided into four sub-volumes via sliding-folding panels and adapted for seated events with telescopic tribunes. Folding doors create a direct link to the open-air exhibition area to the north, merging interior and exterior. Integrated service units within the outdoor space further support open-air event use.
The Conference Hall is tailored for focused gatherings such as congresses, seminars, private meetings, and weddings. It can be subdivided to support multiple configurations. Between the two halls, a shared service zone houses kitchens, storage, and backstage spaces, while the upper level accommodates technical areas. A service block along the foyer connects both halls, optimizing internal logistics. User-oriented functions like the reception, cloakroom, and information point are expressed as wooden volumes extending from the service block, providing both orientation and programmatic clarity.
SHELL
The shell is conceived as an iconic architectural gesture—subtle yet assertive. Its horizontally stretched form is carefully scaled and elevated, creating a porous ground plane that extends public life beneath the structure. In this way, the building becomes more than a venue: it transforms into a civic threshold. At its northern edge, the shell curves inward to incorporate the existing pine grove, creating a mediating threshold between built form and nature. The commercial units underneath not only frame this green space but also activate it. Together, they establish a welcoming entry experience and enhance the relationship between structure and site.
A sloped, perforated façade filters sunlight and introduces a dynamic play of light and shadow throughout the day. Semi-transparent and responsive, the envelope hints at the life inside while acting as a veil that reveals the building’s spatial structure. Through its minimal yet confident geometry, the shell defines a strong and memorable identity for the project—designed to be both locally rooted and symbolically resonant in the city’s collective urban memory.
FAÇADE
The façade strategy responds to both the programmatic organization and the industrial context. On the east, the exhibition and conference volumes present a straightforward language—clean massing, minimal materiality, and a structural rhythm echoing the honesty and scale of production facilities. Matte metal panels and exposed structural systems reinforce this clarity.
To the west, the perforated metal shell filters low-angle sunlight while acting as a permeable veil that reveals interior activity. This semi-transparent surface defines a strong interface between the building, the city, and the park.
The three architectural bands are rendered as distinct walls on the façade—each one a spatial expression of the program behind it. At ground level, precast concrete and matte finishes emphasize material durability and simplicity. Inside, acoustic wood panels contribute to sound comfort while providing warmth and human scale to large volumes. These material strategies support a consistent architectural language where form and function are in direct dialogue.
LANDSCAPE
The landscape strategy is shaped by a respect for existing ecological assets and contextual continuity. The building’s compact footprint on the eastern side limits disruption—only two trees require relocation. This zone houses service areas, circulation, and parking, clearly separated from public uses.
To the west, a fully accessible public park is proposed. A dense green buffer along the road edge creates shade and improves outdoor comfort. Beneath it, a linear pedestrian axis—an allee—defines the main circulation path. A vineyard along this path references the region’s viticultural heritage.
The existing pine grove to the north is preserved and repurposed as a shaded woodland. The shell gently bends to integrate this grove, while the commercial units below engage directly with the outdoors. At the bend of the shell sits an open-air amphitheater; to its south, a paved gathering and event plaza extends from the foyer.
A reflecting pool at the southern edge offers both visual richness and passive climate performance through evaporative cooling. The rhythmic pattern of façade panels is echoed in the landscape design, creating visual and spatial continuity. This repetition strengthens the relationship between architecture and ground, reinforcing a unified environmental identity.
The landscape is not only an ecological layer, but a cultural one—designed as a thematic ground that fosters social and public continuity. The open interface between building and park amplifies the civic character of the proposal.
STRUCTURE & SUSTAINABILITY
The substructure is composed of reinforced concrete, while the superstructure uses a steel frame. Wide spans achieved through trusses minimize internal columns, allowing for flexible and modular space planning. The lightness of the steel system enhances structural efficiency and shortens construction time—supporting resource-conscious construction.
The reinforced concrete base ensures strength and stability underground, while the steel system above provides long-term flexibility and recyclability. The north–south orientation maximizes natural lighting and airflow. In the foyer, linear skylights bring soft daylight; in the hangar, north-facing clerestories offer balanced illumination while minimizing solar heat gain. The west-facing perforated façade reduces thermal load and improves indoor comfort.
Material choices such as acoustic wood panels, composite floor systems, and metal cladding offer longevity and low maintenance. A reflecting pool in front of the building not only enriches the visual environment, but also acts as a passive cooling element that supports the site’s microclimate. To the west, the proposed public park contributes both ecologically and culturally, providing space for collective memory and civic life.
