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... fields. The operational engine for the success of the project is a successful communication of the concepts of the project. Randic-Turato Production, 1992 - 2000 top During the last 8 years, the Randic-Turato office has produced previously unfathomable quantities of work: 31 projects, 25 urban design studies / master plans and 19. All of these works have been produced within an environment of a think-tank workshop. In the atmosphere of the workshop, the quality of the idea was much more important than the authorship of the idea.
The group, workshop atmosphere is an aspect Randic no doubt carried with him from his days at the Berlage Institute. The critical adoption of the laboratory-like Berlage atmosphere to the Croatian environment required a shift from a conceptually-based and 'instant' project formulation to a pragmatically-based operational code -- which sought to maintain the unbearable beauty of initial ideas and concepts. A critical selection of the Randic-Turato production is presented here through three categories. First presented is a dynamic city model of Rijeka, where an intensive analysis of land-use became a preparatory document for the city's new masterplan. Within Croatian city planning practices, this model is unique because it dynamically links statistical data with graphical interpretations for the purposes of planning. The model not only shows Rijeka's actual 'data scape' through the graphic extrapolation of GIS statistical data, but also represents an extremely potential field for testing for future development strategies and scenarios.
The choice of strategies to be employed in the future will depend on the changes of urban densities, programs and the city's changing demographic structures. The model allows manipulation with all of the data and it provides immediate 3 D-visualization of the new situation. The city of Rijeka not only has gained a precise database but more importantly, a sort of virtual field for investigations of urban scenarios. The second category presented with the monographs is that of competitions and unrealised projects. Competitions are the vehicle from which Randic-Turato are constantly exercising architecture as a conceptual discipline and marking their development in comparison with other young architects throughout the world.
It is interesting that the competitions are constantly running parallel to their daily activity of projects and urban plans in Croatia. The conceptual span of strategies for such fundamentally different projects is extreme but, at the same time, it produces valuable experience for action both circumstances. Projects for Europan are central to Randic-Turato's production and are used as a testing-ground for contemplation upon the new city through new types of housing. Mega forms and landforms, as hybrids between infrastructure and housing programs have consistently been their answers to the Europan brief. The Europan competition for the post-industrial periphery of Cartagena (Europan 4), a Spanish city on the Mediterranean coast, is a solution where infrastructure is 'woven' into the basic housing patio units, creating a 'new nature'.
This project creates an oasis for housing in the middle of a 'chaotic' periphery. A second entry for Europan 4 in Almere, The Netherlands represents a slightly utopian attempt to link agricultural production with the production of the urban environment. Within the space of the Dutch polder, these two seemingly opposing human activities are merged in the creation of a new housing neighbourhood. Randic-Turato's entries for Europan as well as the competition for the redesign of Thessaloniki's periphery are conceptually condensed in an ideal proposal for 'Millennium City. ' Here, mega forms are placed within the context of the open grid, where the grid itself is the result of the growth of the hybrid mega form. Within this second category of work are two unrealised projects that are indicative of the recent mis-understandings in a Croatian economic and cultural environment. It was almost impossible for architecture to engage and answer these controversies The are the projects for the World Trade Centre in Rijeka and the project for the Museum of Modern Art in Zagreb.
The project for the World Trade Centre (1992) was the most important project of the city if Rijeka in the early 1990 s. The project radiated optimism of post-war sentiments through its size (80, 000 m 2) and program. The mayor of the city had the vision that the workers from the abandoned Socialist factories would become the brokers in the World Trade Center and initiate a basis for the new economy of the city. Within such an astonishing vision, the architectural and urban aspects of the project were almost secondary. Nevertheless, Randic-Turato's project revealed the power a super-hybrid upon the urban reality of the city. The design is based on strong overlaps of infrastructure (new road) and the programs of the building (congress centre, hotel and commercial spaces).
Today, the abandoned enormous site excavation stands witness the impotence of architecture within transitional times when it is almost impossible to discuss and to design meaningful solutions. The competition entry for the Museum of Modern Arts in Zagreb of 1999 is, in terms of design, is the most controversial project of Randic-Turato. On the one hand it represents a very pragmatic answer to the brief and on the other hand, it expresses tendencies for a critical debate with the brief, site, program and geriatric jury. The elevation of the museum, which in a grotesque way literally reflects the post-modern monster of the headquarters of INA, clearly questions the possibilities of architecture within the non-sensible conditions of the competition. The design contains a double-meaning; it is clearly affirmative towards its architectural qualities, but also it is an ironic and sarcastic comment on the initiative to build the museum on Zagreb's 'Champ Elycees', as it was named by one of the jury members. It is completely obvious that nothing in the league with the Champ Elycees to be realized and that, unfortunately, Zagreb will not receive a new museum in the near future.
Regardless, in its solidity, the Randic-Turato entry raises fundamental questions concerning the possibilities of architecture in transitional environments. The essay by Darko Glavan, about the 20 th cultural environment of Rijeka, emphasizes the city's multi-layered and cosmopolitan character. His contribution affirms that there is not innovation without tradition and that it is virtually impossible to erase a historical cultural production in the time of transition. However, the fundamentally changed cultural context of Rijeka in the early 1990 s is the space in which Randic-Turato operate. Almost all of their realized works indicate, to different degrees, the 'impossibilities of architecture' of Croatia in the 1990 s. What is positive is the experience which the office gained through the building process, through the exchange with clients, investors and politicians all of which is a necessary accumulation of knowledge for future activities.
The first realized work was the reconstruction of a building on Rijeka's medieval defence system on Supilova Street. This building was very important in terms of the media promotion that it gave Randic-Turato. Although the project had to work within a series of restrictions by preservationists, Randic-Turato managed to reveal the modern aspect of the project totally belonging to the spirit of the 1990 s. The image of their 'upside-down roof' became a landmark in Rijeka as well as a 'trademark' image for the office. The reconstruction of the medieval tower in Loan (Istria) was completed in 1999. It was transformed into a gallery and workshop for the Australian (of Croatian origin) painter, Charles Bilich -- a slightly controversial figure of the contemporary global art market.
Bilich, perhaps in the most positive light, pictures the taste of Croatia's new ruling elite. Randic-Turato's solution -- considering the medieval structure of the tower and Bilich's paintings -- was total and absolute minimalism. A series of single family detached houses attest to their skill in spatial articulation as well as the particular conditions in which Croatian architects operate. In Volosko, the client bought a piece of property that included an illegal, half-constructed structure.
Randic-Turato ingeniously transformed something totally illegal into a legal residence, that eventually became an office. Despite the bizarre circumstances, the house (office) ultimately became architecturally interesting. It is conceptually premised upon a magnificent view on the Bay of Kvarner and the connection between terraces and interior spaces pivots upon this view. In Matulji, another house, in spite of the start of the construction process in 1993, is unfortunately incomplete. The owner lost his main income after the secession of war operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The project is an clever interpretation of the building rules, which demand pitched roofs and the employment of regional materials.
Randic-Turato managed to deconstruct these rules and create an object of unique interior dynamism with a superior external appearance. Again the central theme is the view towards the Bay of Kvarner and the relation between the interior spaces and exterior terraces. The single-family house, Pavlak (still a project at the moment) appears to have a 'Scandinavian' modesty, revealing the possibilities of architecture when the budget and the program are both minimal. Another project that has yet to be realized is the Maldost office building on the main pedestrian street of Rijeka. Once again, Randic-Turato are working in the city center in collaboration with a historic preservationist (Hrvoje Giaconi), but this time on reconstruction of the Baroque palace.
In spite of Giaconi being one of the most avant-garde preservationists, his conditions strictly protect the Baroque base of the object and demand that new upper floors should follow the pattern of the window openings of the base. Nonetheless, within these strict conditions, the project promises a quite modern office building with extremely sophisticated aluminum trade elevations. When the building is realized, it should become a standard for new architecture in a historical context. The final project, is no doubt the most spectacular built work of Randic-Turato to date. As a driver approaching Rijeka from the direction of Trieste, one will recognize a complex of gas stations linked by a pedestrian bridge. The complex has been named, the door of the Adriatic, whereas this site allows passengers the first view towards the Adriatic Sea.
What is truly impressive is the construction of the bridge and its appearance in the Croatian landscape. The construction ideally overlaps with the phenomenal natural environment and at the same time is completely alien to everything one could see in the environment while travelling to Rijeka. The tectonic intelligence of the construction of ellipsoid steel frames and the steel mesh presents the contribution by the member of the design team, (first name) Sabljak. The bridge and its immediate surroundings, with the views on the Bay of Kvarner and the highway, indicates a new type of optimism that Randic-Turato are able to implement.
Within a transition, Randic-Turato are generating endless strategies and scenarios for activity. Their work is a link with Rijeka's cultural and architectural production of the last century as well as anticipating and embracing the nature of a transitional context. The production of meaning, as the premise of existence and operation of the office, has to transform in the future into the production of urban and architectural culture on the regional level. In spite of everything, Randic-Turato possess the energy for that task.
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Research essay sample on World Trade Centre Museum Of Modern
