Preliminary design of addition, reconstruction and renovation on the existing object

Year: 2006/2007
Location: Selska Street, Zagreb
Investor: Justice Ministry, State Attorney's Office
Authors: Vesna Mikić, Ph.D.,Arch.Eng., Zorana Protic, B.Sc. (arch.)

Building «E» within the military complex is an integral part of the protected historical urban city structure, built at the turn of the century.
The construction of the building was based on longitudinal bearing walls with a wooden structure between the floors and a two-level roof sloping roof, while its facade is broken down in a number of openings arranged in a regular rhythm, which is, in terms of plasticity, more accentuated on the street side. The facade corners are decorated with rustic borders made out of plaster.

The preliminary design includes several segments of intervention:

1. adding of entrance hall as an indispensable front area; the glazed, transparent cube allows a free view of the historical part of the building, treating the closed part of the facade as exterior, thus protecting the original size of the building,
2. the reconstruction of the roof includes works on the central section of the roof on the western side, facing the court-yard, in order to make a better use of the loft-level, while the sections of the roof facing the street on the northern side (Ilica Street), on the eastern side (Selska Street) and on the southern side, will be only renovated,
3. the reconstruction of the facade fully respects the historical composition and refreshes its plasticity,
4. the reconstruction of the interior court-yard facade in the west preserves the existing exterior staircases made of steel not so long ago, and extends them to the loft (fire stairs), because their transparency and  the fact that they do not belong to the historical part of the building obviously indicate their purpose,
5. the renovation of the interior of the building includes clearing of the space and leaving only the walls and the roof; this will not affect the specific static of the construction, and at the same time it will ensure a high-quality functional design,
6. the renovation of the entire exterior woodwork with a modern design in terms of technology and aesthetics of both the window frames (with onefold aluminum carpentry and “IZO” glass, and exterior floss blinds for the protection from the sunlight) and with a uniform, simplified opening area in line with the accentuated historical composition of the façade.

The building maintains its basic historical morphology:

1. the main entrance to the building remains at the interior court-yard façade (west), so as to preserve the historical features of the complex,
2. the high-quality greenery is completely preserved and recognized as an integral part of the reconstructed facility,
3. the interior preserves its basic original functional zoning; the northern, eastern and southern wings keep their basic functions (office space), as well as the western wing with its secondary functions (communications, services).

The office space is designed as a number of units in terms of structure and purpose. The working areas consist of four to six work places in combination with an individual, detached place; they are separated by transparent partitions to ensure maximum cooperation and communication (the modern technology demands work in groups), to enhance work conditions (light, airing, space), and to make the best possible use of the space (the arrangement of the windows dictates the number of work places).
The building is designed so as to ensure accessibility to the exterior area, communication, and the work space for persons with diminished mobility. The project foresees construction of an elevator within the western wing, next to the existing staircase.