Vladimir Nazor Square, Ivanić Grad
Autor: Branimir Rajčić
The basic characteristics of the project proposal for the design of Vladimir Nazor Square are contextuality and affirmation. The spatial context is analyzed through changes in the way of using is rendered as well as through changes in the way of shaping. Pondering upon the present and trying to imagine future events, we decided in favor of the temporal context. We concluded that there are no unacceptable elements on the comprised area, hence the proposed design relates positively towards the existing elements, preserving them and confirming them. Until the first third of the 19th century there was a citadel (surrounded by grabište) and Podgrađe on the wider area of the space comprised with this design. After 1827, the citadel’s trench ramparts were gradually demolished, the grabište was covered, the precipitation canal was also covered, while in the north-eastern part of the area, city gardens were designed and formed. By 1920 the majority of the buildings defining the edges of the square were built. By the dimensions and manner of usage (marketplace), the square remains to be ‘expanded communication’ between Podgrađe and the new representative buildings in the city gardens. The market was displaced in 1955, and trees were planted on the northern edge. Since 1970, the County building, the Residential Care Home and ‘Ivanićanka’ in program and in scale separate the square into two parts (northern and southern), enlarge the scale of the northern part and hide the view on the county church.
The current traffic design negates the square as a place (parking) or divides it into eastern and western part. The square is asymmetric by its shape and manner of usage. The east edge consists of lower and smaller houses while the spaces between the houses are filled with additional constructions. The west edge has more houses which are also bigger and the spaces between them are used as economy backyards (carver, auto repair shop...). There are higher houses in the northern part from both sides. According to the intensity of events, the wider comprised area can be divided into four parts: the dynamic square of St. George, the peaceful main square, the dynamic Vladimir Nazor Square and the peaceful park of Stjepan Posezi. Going northwards, the square expands on the west in the direction of the gardens and the county church, and in the south, towards Savska Street. High greenery goes along the existing traffic scheme or holds the northern and the south-eastern edge of the square. Due to everything stated above we read the square as an integer of great scale, but also as row of smaller squares of different characters, which we tried to preserve and accentuate with new interventions.
We suggest that the traffic on the entire square is dislocated (except for the emergency and service vehicles) and slowing of traffic in Kralja Tomislava Street. All other variants of traffic in Tomislavova street (one way traffic, two way traffic, removal of traffic) need to be verified with a traffic study. Bicycles stands can be set up along the edge of the square, along the access roads. The unique material of the plain confirms the square as a whole, and the denivelations interpret it as series of smaller squares. The positions of the slant plains confirm the main pedestrian flows and do not interfere with the economy and emergency traffic. The slope of the plains is mild and it cannot be felt when walking. It is rather perceived as change of horizon. Across the slope there are denivelations separating the square, create tension in the plain and serve as part of the urban equipment (big bench). The sloping on the western edge of the main square accentuates the direction towards the county church, separates houses and economy backyards and reminds that a precipitation canal used to be on that side. The erection on the east side of the Vladimir Nazor Square isolates the main square from the noise on Kralja Tomislava Street and the hustle in front of ‘Ivanićanka’, while the square focuses on the County building. The children's square plain levels with the highest point of Podgrađe, and the plain of the quiet square rises towards Podgrađe.
The tessellation is in scale of the square and step, made of stone or concrete panels dimensioned
60 × 30 / 60 / 90 cm. On the part of the square where summer terraces of coffee shops are going to be set, the panels are finished by grinding or are smoothed by grinding, while the rest are burned. Longitudinal seams are visible; the crosswise ones are dislocated with the purpose of shortening perspective. On the slope of the main square, on part of the Vladimir Nazor square and part of the children's square, crosswise seams spread in order to pass the grass which softens the surface and pixelates the square. The longitudinal axis of the square bends thus proportionally changing the direction of the crosswise seams. Row of squares begins with the St. George Square. The difference in altitude between Savska Street (highest parameter) and the crossroad is resolved with shallow staircase which on the square expands into terraces with clear overview of the entire square. Hence, part of it can be used as summer terrace for the nearby coffee shops. The rest is fitted out with wooden benches. The floor is made of ochre tenisite in bright tones. The edges of the pillar are made of massive e-p profiles and the curbstones around the trees are made of corten plates. The old pine trees facing Savska Street have been preserved and new ones were also planted.
The children's square is a niche risen from St. George square, leveling Podgrađe. It employs bright colors: soft floor made of EPDM and recycled rubber, read-leaf maple trees, toys (toboggans, swings, pipe...) and yellow fence with doors. The crossing is a place where the square still speaks of once being an expanded street. It is being additionally emphasized with bidirectional ‘crossing’ of the tree-lined path (which ‘in the air’ transverses from the west to the east side) and the line in the tessellation, made of stone finished by grinding (which on the ground transverses from the east to the west side). Going towards the main square, the crossing expands but it also splits from the children’s square with a pathway that is solved as gradual denivelation – bench.
The main square is place for hanging out and it is the most peaceful and the biggest of all squares. The communication corridors are exempted from the square’s plain in a way they act as its tangents, and in case of a big event they increase it. The communication in the western part is separated by denivelation and alley and in the eastern part by various surface treatments of the plain – grinding for example. The gradual denivelation – bench directs the square towards east and enables pleasant afternoon sitting. The stage for big events can be positioned either on the southern end of the square or in the north – the highest part of the Vladimir Nazor square.
The rising of the plain of Vladimir Nazor Square leads towards west, the County building and the monument. The end of the rising leads towards east and ‘Ivanićanka’ creating a denivelation – bench. The rising of the plain enables that in case of bigger events half of the square adjoins the main square or the King Tomislav Street. On the flat part and the highest level baseline there is a fountain that produces gentle mist, visually and acoustically separating the square from King Tomislav Street. Under certain angle of light, it creates a rainbow. The existing high greenery on the north solidifies the edge of the square and announces the Stjepan Posezi Park. The high greenery on the northern and the southeastern part and the lightening pillars determine the vertical dimension of the square. The silent square emerged in the niche between the northeastern edge of Podgrađe and the back side of the County building, near the vivacity of the Vladimir Nazor Square and the peace of Podgrađe. The triangular plain of the square rises towards Podgrađe, and ends with a long bench. On the flat part of the plain there are barrows planted with seasonal flowers.
The current traffic design negates the square as a place (parking) or divides it into eastern and western part. The square is asymmetric by its shape and manner of usage. The east edge consists of lower and smaller houses while the spaces between the houses are filled with additional constructions. The west edge has more houses which are also bigger and the spaces between them are used as economy backyards (carver, auto repair shop...). There are higher houses in the northern part from both sides. According to the intensity of events, the wider comprised area can be divided into four parts: the dynamic square of St. George, the peaceful main square, the dynamic Vladimir Nazor Square and the peaceful park of Stjepan Posezi. Going northwards, the square expands on the west in the direction of the gardens and the county church, and in the south, towards Savska Street. High greenery goes along the existing traffic scheme or holds the northern and the south-eastern edge of the square. Due to everything stated above we read the square as an integer of great scale, but also as row of smaller squares of different characters, which we tried to preserve and accentuate with new interventions.
We suggest that the traffic on the entire square is dislocated (except for the emergency and service vehicles) and slowing of traffic in Kralja Tomislava Street. All other variants of traffic in Tomislavova street (one way traffic, two way traffic, removal of traffic) need to be verified with a traffic study. Bicycles stands can be set up along the edge of the square, along the access roads. The unique material of the plain confirms the square as a whole, and the denivelations interpret it as series of smaller squares. The positions of the slant plains confirm the main pedestrian flows and do not interfere with the economy and emergency traffic. The slope of the plains is mild and it cannot be felt when walking. It is rather perceived as change of horizon. Across the slope there are denivelations separating the square, create tension in the plain and serve as part of the urban equipment (big bench). The sloping on the western edge of the main square accentuates the direction towards the county church, separates houses and economy backyards and reminds that a precipitation canal used to be on that side. The erection on the east side of the Vladimir Nazor Square isolates the main square from the noise on Kralja Tomislava Street and the hustle in front of ‘Ivanićanka’, while the square focuses on the County building. The children's square plain levels with the highest point of Podgrađe, and the plain of the quiet square rises towards Podgrađe.
The tessellation is in scale of the square and step, made of stone or concrete panels dimensioned
60 × 30 / 60 / 90 cm. On the part of the square where summer terraces of coffee shops are going to be set, the panels are finished by grinding or are smoothed by grinding, while the rest are burned. Longitudinal seams are visible; the crosswise ones are dislocated with the purpose of shortening perspective. On the slope of the main square, on part of the Vladimir Nazor square and part of the children's square, crosswise seams spread in order to pass the grass which softens the surface and pixelates the square. The longitudinal axis of the square bends thus proportionally changing the direction of the crosswise seams. Row of squares begins with the St. George Square. The difference in altitude between Savska Street (highest parameter) and the crossroad is resolved with shallow staircase which on the square expands into terraces with clear overview of the entire square. Hence, part of it can be used as summer terrace for the nearby coffee shops. The rest is fitted out with wooden benches. The floor is made of ochre tenisite in bright tones. The edges of the pillar are made of massive e-p profiles and the curbstones around the trees are made of corten plates. The old pine trees facing Savska Street have been preserved and new ones were also planted.
The children's square is a niche risen from St. George square, leveling Podgrađe. It employs bright colors: soft floor made of EPDM and recycled rubber, read-leaf maple trees, toys (toboggans, swings, pipe...) and yellow fence with doors. The crossing is a place where the square still speaks of once being an expanded street. It is being additionally emphasized with bidirectional ‘crossing’ of the tree-lined path (which ‘in the air’ transverses from the west to the east side) and the line in the tessellation, made of stone finished by grinding (which on the ground transverses from the east to the west side). Going towards the main square, the crossing expands but it also splits from the children’s square with a pathway that is solved as gradual denivelation – bench.
The main square is place for hanging out and it is the most peaceful and the biggest of all squares. The communication corridors are exempted from the square’s plain in a way they act as its tangents, and in case of a big event they increase it. The communication in the western part is separated by denivelation and alley and in the eastern part by various surface treatments of the plain – grinding for example. The gradual denivelation – bench directs the square towards east and enables pleasant afternoon sitting. The stage for big events can be positioned either on the southern end of the square or in the north – the highest part of the Vladimir Nazor square.
The rising of the plain of Vladimir Nazor Square leads towards west, the County building and the monument. The end of the rising leads towards east and ‘Ivanićanka’ creating a denivelation – bench. The rising of the plain enables that in case of bigger events half of the square adjoins the main square or the King Tomislav Street. On the flat part and the highest level baseline there is a fountain that produces gentle mist, visually and acoustically separating the square from King Tomislav Street. Under certain angle of light, it creates a rainbow. The existing high greenery on the north solidifies the edge of the square and announces the Stjepan Posezi Park. The high greenery on the northern and the southeastern part and the lightening pillars determine the vertical dimension of the square. The silent square emerged in the niche between the northeastern edge of Podgrađe and the back side of the County building, near the vivacity of the Vladimir Nazor Square and the peace of Podgrađe. The triangular plain of the square rises towards Podgrađe, and ends with a long bench. On the flat part of the plain there are barrows planted with seasonal flowers.
