Memorial crane

Status:

Project not implemented

Year of designing:

1998.

Program:

Public, Culture

Location:

Mlaka,
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Authors:

Vladi Bralić, Zdenko Sila (†), Zvonimir Kamenar

BASIC INTENTION OF THE SUGGESTION: In the second half of 19th century, the city of Rijeka drastically changed its urban character, especially after a competition for an urban plan in 1873, when the great port basin and railroads for Vienna and Pest have been built. In developing a strong port activity, the city expanded quickly and intensively with bringing up entire assemblies of industrial, public and resident buildings. This suggestion involves setting up a portal, coastal, memorial crane in order to commemorate the development of port activity in Rijeka.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SUGGESTION: The suggestion to erect a monument to the development of the port activity has an exceptional social, political and also a creative esthetic and urban-architectural significance. In this sense it is important to follow through with the right choice of the monument-symbol to this development of the port activity and to perform a correct placement of the monument in the urban area of the city.

CHOICE OF THE MONUMENT-SYMBOL OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORT ACTIVITY:  As a symbol of the development of the port activity, we have chosen a portal, coastal crane GAAZ TARSA based on the following line of memorial values:

  • Historical value, because the crane demonstrates a historical continuity of both the port and port activity;
  • Value of age, because the crane expresses its long lasting existence;
  • Value of rarity, because the crane represents a rarity in consideration to the quantity of similar cranes in today’s context;
  • Value of representativeness, because the crane represents an event of introducing mechanization as an important process in the development of the port activity;
  • Cultural value, because the crane bears quite an assembly of associations and information about the continuous development of the city, of the port, port activity and industrial life overall.

CHOICE OF LOCATION OF THE MONUMENT: We suggest the memorial crane to be placed in the area of Mlaka, between Krešimirova ulica (Krešimir’s Street) and the perimeter, stone wall of the port. On this place a small parking lot has recently been arranged. We find this location suitable for the following reasons:

  • The width of the space allows a view of the entire monument while entering the city from one of the main west roads;
  • The monument is placed on an important traffic and pedestrian hub right next to a bus station;
  • The monument is placed on the entrance of the Industrijska ulica (Industrial Street), one of the oldest streets for industrial purposes in the country;
  • The monument is placed in a suitable urban tissue. This space also hosts other industrial objects as well as the master port lighthouse;
  • The monument is placed on the contact line of the port and the city.