PlivaTri Project
A Floating Pavilion
Meds Croatia Design Workshop '25
PlivaTri ~ Idemo plivati = Let's Swim + Tri = Three Corners, Three Views, Three Tutors
Project Description
'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.
15 Days
1 Pavilion
19 Participants
3 Tutors
Relevance
- Multiple reviews have highlighted the lack of shade, limited amenities, and small shore. While the water is clean, the beach itself remains rocky and restricted.
+ However, visitors have also recognized its potential for an artistic character combined with the views of the port and ships. Since a big part of the Rijeka coastline was taken by the port, the residents are very protective about the last remaining beach.in this part of the city.
Purpose
This floating temple offers a tranquil, yet engaging space for reflection, connection, and relaxation, redefining the rocky, neglected shore into an inviting artistic landmark connecting visitors with the city and nature, through three views: the Adriatic sea, the dog beach and the port.
Design Approach
The pavilion revitalizes the beach using repurposed local materials like gallons and recycled ropes. Designed in three modular units, it can be arranged in different ways. Also, to extend its life beyond the 15-day workshop, we partnered with a Rijeka based NGO called "Urbani Separe" that will continue using the pavilion in and out of the water.
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.
Building Process
The process follows these steps:
- Testing materials for buoyancy and anchoring in water
- Building process with machinery & tools:
marking/ sanding/ cutting according to the cutsheet - Applying marine paint to ensure waterproofing
- Assembling the components
- Attaching gallons to the structure
- Installing the modules on site
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, we held two co-creation sessions:
1. Redesigning the central part of the pavilion
2. Designing the decorative rope element
A Multidisciplinary International Team
Tutors
Leda Demetriadou - Cyprus
Ahmad El Zu'bi - Lebanon
Stefanie Zins - Romania
Team
Simona Lazić - Serbia
Mila Čarapić - Serbia
Gaja Bergant - Slovenia
Luka Mijajlović - Serbia
Klaudiusz Szwajka - Poland
Sude Vural - Türkiye
Mathew Gindy - Egypt
Ahmed Bader - Libya
Sherry Gendy - Egypt
Irene Favero - Italy
Pegi Pika Lešnik - Slovenia
Kagan Karabulut - Türkiye
Daria Ciesiolkiewicz - Poland
Valeriia Stavitskaia - Russia
Sofia Burin Leonardos - Brasil
Ema Marušič - Slovenia
Lara Wschiansky - Switzerland
Lynn El Onaissy - Lebanon
Joya Yazbeck - Lebanon
- Exhibition-
SUNDAY August 17th, 2025
Brajdica Dog Beach, Rijeka, Croatia
MEDS
: Meeting of Design Students
The project was constructed in collaboration with MEDS design workshop.
MEDS was established in 2010 by students for students from all over the word, with a variety of design disciplines participating and tutoring. Its goal is to connect designers from various design (or not) fields, including architecture, product design, industrial design, graphic design, and other related areas, into one unified community.