Benkovac fair
Let everything stay as it is, as it always has been. Cold and muddy in winter, hot and dusty in summer, but always real and full of life. With no filters, with no polishing. There are pigs, lambs, and chickens; potatoes, onions, and peppers; wooden souvenirs, cooking lids, and tools. Always the same stuff.
A vast emptiness, where anything is possible, all of a sudden becomes fullness, living and pulsating fair. Life goes on in cycles – barbecue stalls, tents, smells, tastes, smoke and noise… architecture is an outline, follow up and continuation of it all, just as it is.
The Benkovac Fair is held every 10th day of the month. It is a mix of a livestock auction, flea market, food and other products fair, occasion to hang around and a tourist attraction. Its visitors appreciate its relaxed tone, in addition to shopping. osim kupovine, važna je njegova opuštenost. An informal space with only a partially regulated layout of stalls, a chaotic and dynamic atmosphere, scents and flavors of roasted meat, various, sometimes unexpected and affordable goods, create the feel of a rural fair that has existed since the dawn of civilization. People love it just as it is, sometimes muddy, sometimes dusty, always dynamic and interesting. European projects set to renovate the fair, including the construction of an auction hall, administrative building, an autochtonous Dalmatian house, and facilities needed for the livestock fair — an ungrateful task in a place where people want everything to stay as it is, preserving the ‘primordial spirit of the fair.
In order to preserve freedom and informal spirit, a vast empty space was taken as the fair foundation. Central earth plateau, mildly sloped is a place for all fair events. This place can be arranged and used as desired, across its entire surface or only in certain parts, for the fair or on other days for various other events. It is not defined by any regulations or spatial elements. Trucks can move freely, stalls can be set up, and temporary streets and squares can be arranged. Events there can vary from small to very large. In this empty space, everything can remain just as it has always been,
The emptiness of the fair is defined by its edges. Houses are built on the fair’s edges and trees are lined that form the central space. Paved road and pedestrian path are placed along the edge. The houses are set next to each other, thus creating entrances to the fair – a ‘break from the outside world.’ The architecture of the new houses consists of clusters of individual ‘little houses,’ separate volumes inspired by the shapes of barbecue stands and market tents. Each house is an assemblage and not a single large building. It can be extended and expanded. Following this model, further construction can continue along the edges of the fairground. Inside, spaces can be partitioned and used as needed. A required feature of each house is the porches, made up of the same little houses. Under them, people trade, rest, or take shelter from the sun, rain, and wind. They also provide shelter for livestock. The little houses are made of reinforced concrete, simply constructed. They are clad in local Benkovac stone, which, in slab form on the facades, has a ‘rustic’ look that we hope closely aligns with the ‘spirit of the fair.’
