......................

2005 PROJECT

Plateau for half million people

Project is dealing with an open quarry on the island Krk. The quarry is a paradox of the dynamic Croatian urban regulation. Never programmed in territorial plans, yet it is operating legally; construction earthwork for new shipyard was at one point classified as a quarry. Paradox of this situation is even greater when one realizes that it is located in the center of the Rijeka urban region and only 500 meters from the international airport.
Excavation has produced spectacular settings: a vast void in the center of the densely occupied coastline. Strategy of re-qualification sees the void as a generating element of the transformation. Incision in the geological structure is not repaired or filled in. Instead, it is made even shaper in form of a clear cut, creating a plateau of 400.000 m2.
Spectacular character of the landscape, scale and its accessibility creates a unique setting for large public events. In fact, the site is so large it can fit all inhabitants and tourists of the region at the same time. In a context where every opening is immediately filled-in with real estate, strategy of re-qualification is an opposite one: to keep most of this territory unbuilt and define it with open programs.

....................