Vitić in New Garb

architect Ivan Vitić
project Reconstruction and Conversion of the Ex Hall of the Yugoslav Peoples Army, 1961 Into the Public City Library " Juraj Šižgorić
written by Damir Rako

 

At the beginning of the 1960s, the architect Ivan Vitić, born in Šibenik, designed the building of the Hall of the Yugoslav People’s Army on Poljana, Šibe­nik, one of the key works in his rather fruitful career.

 

It was interesting to find out that Vitić made a study 10 years prior to the realization of the final project of the Army Hall. This previous study of the redevelopment of the entire space between Poljana and St. Francis’s church represents some kind of creative initial vision located between the demands of the preservationists and the imperative of powerful modernity which would be realized later on. The said study clearly shows the intention of including a new primary school as a separate extension, and the need to retain the former city coffee house on the location of the future Army Hall was being questioned. By uniting the task of the re-evaluation of the city walls with his own architectural ambition, Vitić created a work of new spatial energy in one of the most important public spaces in Šibenik.