Responsibly and Suitably

architect Hildegard Auf-Franić, Tin Sven Franić
project Markuševac Kindergarten and Infant Nursery, Zagreb, Croatia
written by Vera Grimmer

 

It seems that school and kindergarten architects are the last remaining Utopians, successors of the modernist masters who firmly believed that architecture can change the world. In times of consumerism and hedonism, a responsible architect will not comply with demands and requests, but will above all postulate the goals in the sense of togetherness and humanism. Croatian modernism has left a rich heritage in the field of educational facilities. Their quality in the post-Second World War period was recognized, just to mention the schools designed by Rašica, Šegvić, Nikšić, and later Tajder. After the change in the social system in Croatia, significant constructions of educational facilities started in 2000 (Oluić and Žarnić: Technical School, Zadar, 1991-2002; Auf-Franić and Oluić: Faculty of Agronomy, Zagreb, 1997-2006; Geng: Sretni Dani kindergarten, Zagreb, 2000; Jošić: Agricultural School, Osijek, 2004; Randić and Turato: Krk Elementary School, 2002-05; Penezić and Rogina: Kindergarten, Zagreb, 2007).