Publisher's Synopsis
In recent years the countries of the former Yugoslavia have experienced a fascinating cultural transformation that has also affected their architecture. Efforts to assert new national identities through the construction of public buildings and institutional symbols for these young countries have led to great opportunities for architects. Since it was founded in 2001 (following the split of the studio njiric+njiric), the work of the Croatian studio njiric+ arhitekti, led by Hrvoje Njiric, has acted as a catalyst for Croatian architecture, as well as leading research into new types of public projects and housing. This issue of 2G presents 17 projects developed mostly in Croatia including everything from proposals for apartments, to new typologies for kindergartens and primary schools (including the MB Nursery in Zagreb), to university buildings (Split Faculty of Law and Zadar University Library) and temporary pavilions. The selection of works is preceded by two introductory texts written by Stephen Bates and Yoshiharu. The nexus section includes ‘Focus’, a series of reflections by Hrvoje Njiric on the problems and challenges of contemporary architectural practice, followed by a fascinating discussion between Njiric and architect Juan Herreros of Madrid.
