Zagreb Dance Centre

The opening of movieplex cinemas in Zagreb has led to the demise of the old cinema theatres in the city centre. The Lika theatre – located in a derelict residential block only 100 metres away from the main square – was owned by the municipality of Zagreb, which decided to reuse its spaces for a dance centre. Over the last 50 years the development of contemporary dance culture in Zagreb has produced about 40 dance troops, and with this project all of them now have a new home where they share facilities, rehearsal rooms and performing spaces.

The only new architectural element of the centre is the entrance lobby whose volume and fractured form suggest dance movement. This polyvalent space contains a cafe, library and video store, and it provides a connection between the courtyard and the roof terrace, which represents an important part of this project: the preservation and restoration of Zagreb’s last open-roof stage.