The stadium is slightly shifted and rotated toward a north–south axis, opening it toward Maksimir Park and creating two smaller entrance plazas. Its rounded volume is composed of a glazed façade, horizontal sunshades and a perforated metal outer skin, while the detached roof appears to float above the recessed ground level. In the survey area, the sports buildings are integrated into an extended park system through planted roofs, landscaped embankments and pedestrian routes leading toward Borongaj.

For the second round, the jury established additional evaluation criteria. These included the urban concept, the quality and feasibility of the proposal, the integration of buildings and public spaces, and the organisational and formal qualities of the individual buildings, with particular emphasis on the stadium proposal.

Generic or overly expressive structures that strongly defined the stadium’s identity but presented significant challenges in terms of construction or cost were considered less appropriate to the programme and context. The same applied to high-maintenance materials and an excessive reliance on vegetation within the stadium.

The possibility of phased construction was also an important criterion for elimination, while the jury continued to recognise the architectural quality of the programme’s articulation.