Facility manager Rijeka sport estimates the renovation of the square and outdoor areas at €1,860,000 including VAT, while calculations in the article suggest a realistic cost of around €400,000.
More than 15 years after its grand opening on Croatian Olympic Day, September 10, 2009, Centar Zamet in Rijeka is facing a serious construction issue. The ceramic tiles on the pedestrian surfaces have almost completely deteriorated, and replacement, according to the facility manager Rijeka sport, would cost €1,860,000 including VAT, or more than €400 per square meter.
The architectural studio 3LHD, which designed Centar Zamet from 2004 to 2007, explained that 11 mm thick ceramic tiles were used for walking surfaces, exterior walls, and roofs. The square was designed as a pedestrian area with the possibility of occasional vehicle traffic with a load capacity of B125, up to 12.5 tons.
From Studio 3LHD, they emphasize that the main cause of damage is not the tile thickness but a deficiency in their installation. "The main cause of mechanical damage to the tiles is a deficiency in the installation of the tiles themselves; in parts of the building, the ceramic was not fully adhered, and over time, water penetrated beneath the tiles, likely leading to frost in colder years, and the tiles began to detach from the substrate, losing their load-bearing capacity," they stated from the studio.
An additional cause, according to their assumption, is the movement of vehicles with a load capacity greater than permitted across the square, which accelerated and intensified the damage. Studio 3LHD notes that at the time of design and construction, there was no technological possibility to produce thicker tiles with higher load capacity in the same format, composition, and quality, which is now possible with most major manufacturers.
From Rijeka sport, the facility manager of Centar Zamet, they say they are fully aware of the condition of the ceramic tiles and have been continuously carrying out partial repairs for years to ensure the safety of all users. An analysis of previous interventions has shown that partial repairs no longer represent a long-term solution.
"For this reason, a decision was made to prepare complete project documentation for the full renovation of the square and all associated outdoor areas. The renovation project was designed by Studio 3LHD, the author of the original architectural solution. The estimated investment value is €1,860,000 including VAT, and implementation is planned over two years after securing financial resources and conducting public procurement," they stated at Rijeka sport.
According to official data, the public squares of Centar Zamet cover 4,283 square meters. When the estimated investment of €1,860,000 is divided by that area, it amounts to €434 per square meter, which the article's author considers extreme.
The calculation in the article shows that the average cost of tile removal is around €10 per square meter, substrate preparation around €15, and installation with grouting around €30, totaling €55. With the removal of about fifty cubic meters of rubble, the cost of works reaches €60 per square meter. Tiles 14 mm thick can be purchased for €40 per square meter, meaning the total replacement cost should be around €400,000, or about €100 per square meter.
The Italian company Florim Ceramiche, specializing in porcelain stoneware tile production, produced 51,000 tiles for the construction of Centar Zamet. Novi list asked the manufacturer about the current price per square meter of equivalent tiles, but no response was received before the article's publication.
The construction cost of Centar Zamet was just under €50 million, of which the value of the hall itself was €22 million. Studio 3LHD completed and delivered the renovation project for the square and associated outdoor areas in March 2026.
