project:
MEDIKA, logistics – distribution center
client:
Medika d.d.
author:
UPI-2M
status:
competition 2022.
area:
39.611 m2
location:
Žitnjak, Zagreb, Croatia
description: :
CONCEPT
The site for the new Medika Zagreb Logistics and Distribution Center is located in the eastern part of Zagreb, with vehicular access from Resnički gaj III Street. The existing plot contains a commercial building whose dimensions, design, and structural condition do not meet the future requirements of the project brief. Consequently, this conceptual design foresees its removal and the construction of a new facility.
The new building is positioned on the northeastern part of the plot, oriented northeast–southwest. The building is designed as a single volume (monovolume)—the ground floor predominantly houses logistics operations, while the administrative/office functions are located on the upper floors directly above the dispatch area. This arrangement optimizes the use of the building in terms of horizontal and vertical communication. The site placement and layout concept allow for the potential subdivision of a portion of the plot along the northwestern boundary.
The building is elevated 1.2 m above the finished ground level. A technical block with an eco-corner is located along the south-western boundary as a satellite object, separate from the main building and adjacent to the security gate/entrance booth.
TRAFFIC SOLUTION AND ACCESS
Primary vehicular and pedestrian access to the plot is provided via the existing entrance point from Resnički gaj III Street. The traffic design includes the reconstruction of the connection with the access road. Immediately past the site entrance, a turnoff leads to the employee parking lot.
Continuing further into the site, a gatehouse is positioned featuring two entrance and exit lanes. One lane is designed as a fast-track entry/exit for the logistics center’s delivery vehicles, while the second lane is intended for vehicles requiring security control. Pedestrian access is routed through the gatehouse for external visitors, and directly from the employee parking lot for logistics center staff.
The project provides 280 parking spaces for employees outside the inner perimeter and 10 parking spaces within the inner perimeter around the building. Within the inner perimeter, there are also 50 parking spaces for light delivery vehicles and 14 parking spaces for heavy delivery vehicles. These internal parking spaces and the maneuvering areas for goods receiving and dispatch are served by a ring road. This road is designed as partly two-way and partly one-way to suit the specific types of users and spatial zones. Pedestrian access for employees is located on the northeastern facade.
FUNCTIONAL AND DESIGN FEATURES
The building is divided into two main zones: the logistics zone, which occupies the majority of the ground floor area, and the office/administrative zone located on the upper floors above logistics. The functional layout and support facilities of the logistics center are organized around an automated order fulfillment/dispensing system situated in the central-upper half of the building.
Adjacent to this system, on the right side of the plan, are:
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Goods Receiving (with support areas: quarantine, dental/cito/narcotics storage, and an administrative office block serving this zone)
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Goods Dispatch and a High-Bay Warehouse (adjoined on the right side by an external user receiving/dispatch zone, as well as a storage area for flammable liquids, chemicals, labeling, and returns, complete with auxiliary office and utility spaces)
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Cold Storage Units with a drive-in zone located at the northeastern corner of the plot.
The pedestrian entrance for all logistics center staff is located on the northeastern facade—from the entrance plaza, traffic routes separate toward either the administrative or logistics departments. Support and auxiliary facilities for logistics staff are located on the ground floor with a direct connection to the logistics area, while vertical circulation connects them to the cafeteria on the first floor.
The executive offices are vertically connected to the first and second floors, which house the administration, finance, sales, procurement, and Prima Pharma departments, along with associated and shared amenities. The office block is footprint-aligned above the ground-floor dispatch area, establishing the shortest horizontal connection to the returns/labeling office block and the facility archive.
The footprint of the first-floor office block forms an atrium featuring an accessible flat green roof, providing outdoor recreational space for employees. A service yard is formed on the ground floor with a separate service entrance for the kitchen, which directly connects to the cafeteria on the first floor.
DESIGN AND MATERIALS
The overlap of diverse spatial functions across horizontal levels is most prominently expressed on the fifth elevation—the roof plan. Each space has a distinct volumetric height, influencing the external appearance of the building and prompting a broader selection of facade materials and forms.
To unify these varying heights and volumes, a continuous architectural envelope wraps around the building. In certain areas, this envelope serves as the final facade layer, while in others, it acts as an elevated or projected screen formed by a lightweight panel infill within a steel frame.
Insulated sandwich panels with a sheet-metal finish are specified for the exterior cladding. Where the panel functions as the primary weather barrier, its thickness meets the building’s energy efficiency requirements; where it acts solely as a decorative architectural screen on a secondary steel frame, a thin panel infill is used. This primary facade material is applied uniformly across the entire exterior perimeter of both the logistics and administrative sections. Conversely, the interior facade of the office block facing the courtyard atrium is designed as a structural glass curtain wall.
STRUCTURAL SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
The primary load-bearing system of the logistics section is designed as a prefabricated reinforced concrete structure. It consists of precast concrete columns and beams topped with high-profile trapezoidal steel deck roofing, mineral wool insulation boards, and all necessary waterproofing layers. The logistics roof is generally flat and non-accessible, reserved only for plant equipment and HVAC units serving the facility.
The office block features a cast-in-place (in-situ) reinforced concrete structure designed with smaller structural spans. Its main roof is a non-accessible flat roof, while the first-floor atrium is designed as a green, fully accessible roof deck.
