1
Kaptol Zagreb Every city has its own dynamics. Glory, decline, fall and success, all stages in history leave their traces. In the development of cities these traces are sometimes neglected or even erased. The ‘internationalisation’ in town planning and development creates more and more generic cities out of every place. This phenomenon makes an ‘anyplace’ out of any place. In these circumstances the traces and relicts can play an increasing role in the cities’ identity, in the creation for the future. The Kaptol in Zagreb wears still many traces of history. The main effort here is to keep those traces, restore them and ‘use’ them in order to define principles for urban development. By doing so, the Kaptol will define again the identity of Zagreb together with other distinct places in the city. By adding new activities within the giving principles, the Kaptol will add new meaning to Zagreb and is ready to play the next stage in the city’s history
View on Kaptol
2
3
4
The Historical cities of Gradec and Kaptol As you walk, does it not seem to you that beside you pass foot soldiers in heavy armour, stepping out of the history of old Zagreb? Or those ancient citizens from the Middle Ages, wearing beaked shoes, all with long hair and patriarchal beards… Or those ample shapes of the baker women whose sharp tongues spread all the malicious and scandalous rumours of old Grech? Behind them up this steep slope came people from the Baroque, the Rococo ages, nobles and gentry of the Biedermeier and finally titled gentlemen in frock coats, old government informer and lodgers from eternally half-dark rooms. Rudolf Habeduš Katedralis Šetnje Gornjim gradom i starim Zagrebom, 1997
Cathedral with the surrounding wall still intact
Opatovina street
The role of the city of Kaptol can be understood by explaining the name Kaptol. It was one out of two: Gradec, the earthly, administrative power on the right side of the Medvescak brook and Kaptol, the ‘elevated’, clerical power on the left side. In the last part the government of the church had and has
its See. Like in many other big cities in Europe (i.e. Berlin), the Great city of Zagreb has emerged from these two origins.
5
8. ORTOFOTO
GRANICA ZAHVATA GRADSKI ZAVOD ZA PROSTORNO UREĐENJE_IZMJENE I DOPUNE PROGRAMA ZA JAVNI URBANISTIČKO-ARHITEKTONSKI NATJEČAJ ZA UREĐENJE KAPTOLA_STUDENI 2006.
View on Kaptol
Public Space
Building Blocks
By ‘reading’ the physical structure of the Kaptol one can define the meaning of the building blocks; densely built blocks along the Tkalceciva street, a ‘civic and merchant street’, distinguished facades along the Opatovina street and formal buildings with inner courts along the old city wall. By understanding the typology of the blocks, the newly demanded activities can be placed in a manner that they really fit, emphasize the existing qualities and even add meaning.
6
Parks and green
Important places
Viewing axis
Next to the built structure of the Kaptol, the public spaces and parks and the location of the important programme shows a coherent plan of Kaptol. It has a human scale, it is very European and it offers great opportunities for the future.
7
History for the Future
Mental map of Kaptol
Opportunities:
Full Kaptol experiences
The actual mental map for the Kaptol hill is reduced to the southern tip (1/3) of the hill. The church and it surroundings and the Dolac marketplace are best known. The connection of this area with the ‘rest’ of the Kaptol hill is hardly visible anymore.
We ask for consciousness for the chances in the northern (2/3) part of Kaptol hill;
By redefining the northern part, the whole area can and will be part of the future mental map and can be experienced as One Kaptol Hill.
1. 2. 3. 4.
Improvement public space; Expression of the city wall at the park side and redefine it’s boundaries; Increase of the permeability of the existing structure, and Add new activities.
8
Current Kaptol
High quality square
Park
Public street
Private buildings
New buildings
Private space
9 Proposed new Kaptol
The Kaptol Hill has great potential; The Kaptol street, currently undervalued by overkill in infrastructure can turn into a pedestrian area and so be added to the public realm.
The Opatovina Park is the hidden treasure of Kaptol; it’s potential should be added to the value of Kaptol Hill. 10
City of Zagreb
Gradec & Kaptol
Cultural and Historical District
Gradec and Kaptol are the Cultural and Historical district of Zagreb. They are twins, however different in structure. Gradec shows a rather orthogonal structure (Mondriaan), as for the Kaptol structure does look more like a Kandinsky painting. Toge-ther they add identity the greater Zagreb.
11
Zoning Kaptol’s proximity to the main Zagreb square (Ban Jelacic) gives it potential to strengthen the way the city is perceived for its culture and history. Kaptol together with Gradec will be the representative heart of Zagreb, the address for formal institutions as well as for museums. The people of Zagreb can experience the cultural and historical surrounding and enjoy their stay in the Park. By reinterpreting the historical layers within the Kaptol we can distinguish 3 zones, all related to different streets.
2 Commerce Here used to be the civilian district of Kaptol, with streets belonging to tradesmen. Its direct connection to the Dolac market enables this street to, in time, become a high-end shopping street while still preserving its own atmosphere. Closed courtyards and secluded establishments should be discouraged and could eventually be transformed into kiosks and shops
1 Leisure and entertainment This zone acts as an intermediary between the Kaptol and Gradec. The street houses bars and restaurants and attracts a lot of people. The current functioning can be maintained and might be improved.
3 Religion and Culture. The Kaptol developed as the seat for the church with adjacent offices. The locus of course has been Kaptol street. The proximity of the Cathedral and Archdiocese gave the Kaptol shape and identity. The street must breath an atmosphere of eminence and ambrosia. The closed canon houses could open up and facilitate cultural institutions or public shops
Leisure - Tkalceciva Street
Commerce - Opatovina street
which support the streets identity, (e.g. music shop, a prestigious bookshop.)
Culture - Kaptol Street 12
The programmatic zones follow the existing streets. It has the potential to become a favourable district for Zagreb people to meet and have a drink, to spend their time shopping near Opatovina Street or take a walk around the monumental facades and walls.
13
Destination Kaptol At the moment the southern part of the Kaptol is used intensely. Unfortunately many visitors will not go into the northern part. Inserting program or “destinations” will enable an easier discovery and use of the complete Kaptol. These hotspots will be linked to each other, creating a route. These can easily be connected to existing routes (e.g. tourist routes) or adjacent neighbourhoods like Šalata. These strengthen Kaptol’s West-East routing and consequently its linkage with surrounding districts.
14
15
A cross section which shows the different zones. If the closed courtyards are opened up from East to West, pedestrian can actually walk this cross section. Walking trough the Kaptol will provide a sequence of different atmospheres and experiences.
16
The view on Kaptol Street, with a part- section through the canon houses. Even though the new buildings have been added the overall identity is preserved.
17
Interventions The image on the right shows all the changes we propose to the current Kaptol. Interventions consist of: • Prohibiting motorized traffic in the Kaptol area; • Removing asphalted streets and replacing them with natural stone pavement; • Re-use of the canon houses and adding new buildings in the courtyards; • Creating pathways in between the courtyard houses, creating a new layer of routing within the existing blocks; • Improve accessibility to the parks; • Linking Ribnjak park to the Kaptol in terms of usage and vista’s; • Adding new functions like the Cathedral Treasury, the Diocesan Museum and Archives; • Creating small commercial closes (squares) in Opatovina; • Emphasizing and visualizing the historical boundaries of Kaptol. We wish to create an integral experience throughout the Kaptol public space, exercising consistent gestures and use of materials (e.g. pavement). On specific locations the public space will be given special attention: Kaptol Square Up until a hundred years ago the main Cathedral space consisted of a small
plot enclosed by the fortress wall. The St. Mary Square was used as a market. At the moment the combined space of the St. Mary Square and the space in front of the Cathedral feel a bit too big in relation to the surrounding building height. We propose a small square in front of the cathedral to refer back to its historic enclosed space. This tailored square scales the public space down to human measures, and defines the Cathedral space.
3
2
Kaptol Street: The Kaptol street will be transformed from a prominent traffic vein into the district’s main boulevard. With cars prohibited, people can stroll up and down the streets. Shaded by a double row of trees people can visit the Comedy theatre, the Diocesan Museum or enjoy a drink with a good view on the Cathedral. Entrances. At some parts it is hard to see the transition between the Kaptol and other city parts. We wish to create entrances or “gestures” at the historic border of the Kaptol area to emphasize the “entering”. As an example we take the road from Ban Jelacic Square to the Cathedral. Staircases with specific materialization, aligned with the old city walls, will make people more aware of entering the Kaptol district.
1
New functions: 1 Zagreb Cathedral Treasury 2 Diocesan Museum 3 Archdiocesan Archives
High quality square
St. Mary Square
Park
Art
Acces
Tiled public street
Stairs
Accented Kaptol entrance 18
Ribnjak Park Ribnjak Park has always been part of the Kaptol district. In the past it was part of its line of defence, provided the city with food from the fish garden or gave peaceful park retreat to priests. At the moment it is the place where one can get a view of the historical city of Kaptol. It offers a silhouette of the city walls, buildings and iconic church towers. We wish to better integrate the Ribnjak park to the Kaptol. Right now it is hidden from the Kaptol. You have to walk around it and access the park through Ribnjak Street. New entrances that perforate Kaptol street make a visit easier. In addition there could be balconies from the city wall enabling a beautiful view into the park. To improve the view, the trees should be replaced from the old ramparts to alongside Ribnjak road, creating a visual distance between the park and the road.
Vista’s into the park
The tourist assembly point, which is now concentrated next to a bus stop in front of the Cathedral, can also benefit from the park. This bus stop can be at the corner of the park. It cleans up the Kaptol Street and gives the tourist a more interesting approach for his visit to the Kaptol. He starts with a dramatic view of the towers and the city wall from the park. Then he walks the stairs to arrive in front of the Cathedral. The park could act as Museum Park, functioning as an intermediary between the Cathedral Treasury and the Diocesan Museum. An extended route uses the Park to exhibit earthquake ruins of the Cathedral or a display of statues.
Entrances into the park
19
Current Ribnjak Park, a major asset for Kaptol
New entrance in Ribnjak park towards Kaptol Street 20
Adding Density
Ribnjak Park
Canon Houses of Kaptol street
Zones where more density might be realized Adding new program would be beneficial to the Kaptol. It strengthens the districts assets and provides more activities. It enables a source of income to compensate costs for upgrading the public space. It gives the district more density. Adding new functions can take place in the plots belonging to the canon houses. A lot of the space is used for storage or taken up by sheds. It would be a big improvement if these extraordinary spaces could be opened up for public, and if parts of the open space can give place to new buildings. These spaces can be an intermediary between the
streets and the park. There could even be a secondary routing through these blocks. The first of the buildings to be realized here are The Treasury, Diocesan Museum and Archbishop’s Archives.
street and be modest in architectural gestures.
Adding new program in these districts might improve Kaptol, but it needs to adopt certain rules. It should fit to the historical context. This doesn’t mean it cannot be modern, but future growth needs to respect local context. This means a limit to building height, supporting the historic view on the district. It needs to adjust to the rhythm in which the buildings are aligned at the 21
Opatovina Street and Park Dolac is a very popular market. When you walk towards Opatovina Street you encounter a small square which is a kind of extension of the Dolac market, however scale and space are more related to the street. This atmosphere should be captured, enhanced and reproduced throughout Opatovina street. At the moment there are several closed gardens present. These could in time be exchanged for the Opatovina squares, a kind of upscaling of the current stalls. The result might be an Opatovina Street, which specializes in the high-end market. Addressing customers to its high quality products in a distinctive street with its own historic atmosphere.
1 Dolac
2 Present Opatovina square
3 Similar squares
In addition it will link the Opatovina park to the Dolac market. This park is an oasis of peace with extraordinary views on the houses of Gradec, layered as scenes. It has pieces of the old city wall as well. Already historical festivals take place here. This hidden treasure would be better off with improved access.
Market Opatovina Park houses Kaptol Street Shops and bars
22
Traffic plan The current traffic system has a lot of emphasis on car usage. This downgrades the identity of the Kaptol. The emphasis should be on slow traffic, placing pedestrians first. The former streets will be paved with local natural stone to express this. The cars need to be redirected out of the Kaptol, through Ribnjak street. The tourist bus stop will be moved to the side of the Ribnjak park. At the moment the turning curve takes up valuable space near the Cathedral. We propose to use the existing road layout surrounding the gas station. City busses are still allowed to use the Kaptol street and we keep the busstop intact. The difference is that the busses know acts as guest in a pedestrian area.
23
Supplying Dolac
The current logistics of the Dolac Market is congesting the corner of the Cathedral Square. It is inefficient, let alone a pretty site. Instead all the traffic could be led through Pod Zidom. The vans could drive through the fish and meat market at fixed times to unload all the goods. A small elevator lifts the carts up to the Dolac market.
Supplying Dolac through Pod Zidom
24
Public Space
With the Kaptol district redefined as pedestrian area, the public space can be upgraded to fit this description. The asphalt will be replaced by pavement. The Kaptol street will shaded by rows of trees, breathing a relaxing atmosphere. Destinations in the Kaptol will be numerous, each in its own distinct environment. A walk through the Kaptol will provide an interesting rhythm of varying spaces and experiences.
25
St. Mary Square
Current Cathedral Square
New Cathedral Square 26
Current Kaptol street New Kaptol street
27
In our opinion the Kaptol district shows great potential and beauty. There are minor hindrances which restrain it from its possibility to shine as the historic “Kaptoll hill�. Prudent interventions, fitting the context, are preferred over big, one dimensional gestures. We demand longlasting, sustainable interventions with far reaching impact to its context. Putting the right programme on the right place, based on a clear strategy, will give way for Kaptol to become a new and vivid focal point within Zagreb.
Colofon Henk J.M. Bouwman Jeroen Leemans Sacha N. Schram Dominic J.C. Tegelbeckers Richard Paalman Sebastian Byl
Competition for the architectural and urban design for the Kaptol, Zagreb September 2008 HKB Stedenbouwkundigen, Rotterdam Westblaak 51 3012 KD Rotterdam The Netherlands +31 (0)10 436 6260 Website: Email:
www.hkbs.nl rotterdam@hkbs.nl 28