PlivaTri

PlivaTri is a floating triangular pavilion anchored off the coast of Rijeka, conceived as a modern-day temple in the sea. Designed to counter the lack of comfortable public beach space, it invites visitors into a sensory dialogue with the water, city, and port. Its geometric form contrasts the organic flow of the Adriatic, while its open centre and surrounding walkway offers space for swimming, lounging, or gathering in reflection.

Built using sustainable materials like recycled gallons and ropes and designed with participatory design techniques, PlivaTri merges environmental consciousness with Rijeka’s industrial heritage. As the sun moves and the wind stirs the ropes the pavilion becomes a living structure, shifting in mood and lighting throughout the day. More than a platform for play or pause, PlivaTri is an invitation to reimagine the edge between land and sea.

Design approach

The pavilion revitalizes the beach using recycled local materials. Designed in three modular units, it can be arranged in different ways. Also, to extend its life beyond the 15-day workshop, they partnered with a Rijeka based NGO called “Urbani Separe” that will continue using the pavilion in and out of the water.

Way of working

The project was mostly pre-designed by the tutors due to its complexity. Still, it was essential to include the participants’ ideas and perspectives into the design. To achieve this, they held two co-creation sessions:

1. Redesigning the central part of the pavilion
2. Designing the decorative rope element

Design process

The pavilion is designed as three modules, each consisting of five parts: gallons, base structure, columns, ceiling structure, and decorative ropes. A detailed cutsheet was created to specify the material quantities needed for each module and ensure the limited materials were used efficiently.

What’s Next?

The pavilion was given to an NGO called Urbani Separe, which works to strengthen the capacities of communities in Rijeka through participatory programs that directly address their needs and, through culture, influence the quality of their lives, enrich and activate public space. The pavilion will be used in pop-up events in Rijeka, in or out of the water.