人物访谈

1.您是如何在设计中保持创新和创造力的呢？

在这个日新月异的世界里，新技术、新材料和新可能性几乎每天都会出现，我们没有理由不去创新，我们要结合所有事物去使我们的想法具体化。创造性的理念可以来源于我们身边所有的环境，如自然环境、人、材料、建筑结构、人与人之间的情感、关系等。人类的大脑是无限的，我们周围有着无穷无尽富有创造力的事物。如果能认识到这一点，那么你的想法永远不会枯竭。

2.您是如何开始设计，您的设计理念都是怎么形成的呢？

“场所精神”通常是我的灵感来源，它唤醒了我所有感官，激活了我的大脑使其形成图像和序列，这些图像和序列就形成了一个真正的建筑物了。通常，我会相信我对某个项目或地方的第一直觉。之后，虽然最初的想法经历了许多阶段和变化，但它始终是项目的核心。这是一种来自意识思维的建筑直觉，与功能和工程相互协调。

3.您能向中国读者介绍一下贵国的文化和建筑环境吗？它们在您的职业生涯中起着怎样的作用？

虽然克罗地亚是一个相当小的国家，但它在许多领域拥有多样性。我们有一种文化，它涵盖了欧洲的所有历史。克罗地亚首都萨格勒布市绵延几百公里，有着强烈的中欧特色。克罗地亚有许多不可思议的景观和建筑，如罗马竞技场、中世纪的防御城堡、拿破仑一世时期的基础设施系统和道路网络、教科文组织遗产遗址的几件杰作以及各种当地建筑遗产。克罗地亚的气候和地理是一个非常重要的因素，从地中海和大陆气候到山地气候和景观。丰富的文化和建筑材料为我们了解克罗地亚的遗产及建立自己的当代建筑印记奠定了重要基础。

不过，我不得不说，虽然我们的设计并没有追求特定的建筑风格，但都尽量把本地的环境与我们自己的设计理念结合起来。无论何时，我们都会以同样的态度进行设计。

4.克罗地亚保持着传统的城市风格，有许多历史建筑。您如何处理新建筑与旧建筑和城市之间的关系？

克罗地亚的建筑师有时觉得这是一种负担，而不是一种解脱。虽然我同意一定程度上必须保存有价值的历史作品，但对于此我们更倾向于保存一切，有时只是因为它是以前的遗留。这不是阻碍发展和淘汰市中心和商业区当代建筑的充分理由。不容误解的是，我并不主张残酷地使现有的城市中心退化，但是我们的城市是有生命的实体，必须经历改变和成长，与我们的需求和技术保持相同的发展速度。这听起来可能很简单，但实际上，这是一个非常复杂的遗产处理问题。

根据我们自己的经验，我必须说，有时无法与现有的元素建立有意义的联系，而必须在尊重古老作品的同时有自己的观点，赋予建筑自主性。

5.您所承接的项目范围广泛，从小规模的建筑和独户住房到大型商业或文化建筑和城市摩天大楼。那么，什么样的建筑会让您感到更兴奋？

在我看来，仅仅是建筑的大小并不是衡量其价值和重要性的真正标准。一个项目和思想流动的真正精髓是让我们感到兴奋的东西。设计的乐趣在于挑战性，挑战在于考虑自己的建筑敏感性和灵感的同时如何才能使项目成为指定地点和客户的最佳项目。建筑整体令人感到兴奋，当面对如此多的元素：方案、环境、理念、预算、客户……，设计过程充满挑战且具压倒性。我们一次又一次地绞尽脑汁并“耗尽”创意思维使得每一个项目都会最终成为一件实实在在的、有用的艺术品。

6.您对材料的运用新颖而丰富，如石屋“Hiža”。您是如何进行材料的选择和组合的？

我们使用的材料是不受时间影响的，我们之前使用过并且以后会继续使用。建筑师必须了解它们的独特特性和可能性，才能以一种可取的方式来深刻了解这些材料。

我们接受当地传统的信仰，将其与我们的创意和可利用的新技术结合起来。这使得我们能以新方式使用“旧”材料。材料的本质被保留下来，而留下了当代印象。

7.您职业生涯以来遇到的最具挑战性的项目是哪一个？可以就此谈一谈吗？

对我来说没有一个项目是最具有挑战性的。我们的每一个项目，无论大小，都有必须处理的一个或多个具有挑战性的因素。小型度假住宅或大型足球场的实用性、美观或设计这几方面都是我们日常工作的一部分。挑战并不在于规模大小，而是内容和条件。但正如我前面所说的，挑战是使这个职业不可思议和兴奋的其中一方面。

8.您对中国建筑的印象如何？如果有机会，您希望在中国留下怎样的作品？

十三年前，我们来过中国，这是最令人印象深刻的地方之一。虽然我们对当代中国建筑的构造并不十分熟悉，但没什么能够像以前和现在的中国一样，无论是旧中国还是新中国，两者都是极具有压倒性的优势。我钦佩中国奋力向前，关注未来，同时也尊重古老建筑。持续的发展和对地理边界以外影响的开放思维就证实了中国在建筑等每一个领域都有保持领先的渴望。

在中国进行建筑创作是非凡的挑战，仅仅是应对陌生的环境就已经很具挑战性，而条件本身则是令人兴奋的。不论规模和方案如何，我想留下一件作品，展示PROARH以何种方式符合真实的地方“场所精神”。

1. How do you maintain the constant innovation and creativity in your design?

In this ever changing world where new technologies, materials and possibilities emerge on almost a daily basis, it is hard not to be innovative and use everything on our disposal to materialize new ideas.Creative ideas in particular can be drawn from our surroundings such as nature, people, textures,structures, emotions, relationships and so on. The human mind is limitless, we have an inexhaustible content of creativity surrounding us and if you have the ability to recognize that, you can never run out of ideas.

2. How do you start a design, and how are the design concepts triggered and generated?

Genius loci is usually the trigger, it awakens all the senses and activates the creation of brain images and sequences that later take shape of a real building. Usually the very first sensation I get about a project or a place is the right one. Afterwards, the initial idea goes through many stages and changes, but it is always at the core of the project. This is a sort of an architectural intuition which is then recognized by my concious mind and it coordinates with function and engineering.

Croatia is a rather small country, but it possesses diversity in many areas. We have a culture that is a complete imprint of an overall European history. In a span of several hundred kilometers lies Zagreb,the capital with a strong middle European feel. Croatia offers many incredible sights and structures such as the roman arena, defense castles from the middle ages, Napoleonic infrastructure systems and road networks, several masterpieces on the UNESCO heritage site and large diversity of local authentic architectural heritage. Our climate and geography are a very important element that ranges from Mediterranean and continental climate to mountain climate and landscape. This abundance of cultural and architectural materials makes an important base from which we can learn about our heritage and build our own imprint of contemporary architecture.

Nonetheless I must say that we do not pursue a specific architectural style in our designs, but we try to combine local conditions and our own design ideas. We are set to apply the same attitude wherever we are called to design.

3. Could you introduce to the Chinese readers the cultural and architectural environment of your country?And what role they are playing in your career?

4. Croatia maintains the traditional city style and has many historical buildings. How do you deal with the relationship between the new buildings and the old ones and the city?

Sometimes architects in Croatia feel like this is more of a burden than a relief. I agree that there must be a certain level of preserving valuable historical pieces, but here we tend to preserve everything and sometimes only because it is old. That is not a good reason to hold up development and allow contemporary architecture to be pushed out of city centers and downtown areas. Not to be misunderstood, I do not advocate ruthless degradation of existing urban centers, but our cities are living entities and they have to grow and change in the same pace with our needs and technologies. It might sound simple but in reality it is a very complex question of approach towards heritage.

From our own experience I must say that sometimes you cannot make a meaningful relationship with an existing element and you have to make your own statement, while respecting the old, giving it an architectural autonomy.

5. Your repertoire ranges from small-scale buildings and single family houses to large commercial or cultural buildings and city skyscrapers. What kind of buildings will make you more excited?

I believe that the mere size of the building is not a true measure of its value and importance. The true essence of one project and our idea flow is what is making us excited about it. The pleasure in designing is the challenge of making it the best possible project for a designated place and client, taking into consideration our own architectural sensibility and inspiration. owevptation and Renovation of Home of Revolution in Nikšić, Montenegro awaits the realization.Architecture overall is exciting, the design process is challenging and so overwhelming when you deal with so many elements: the program, the environment, the idea, the budget, the client…We brainstorm and ‘drain’ our creative mind over and over again with each and every project to end up with a tangible and usable piece of art.

6. Your application of materials is novel and rich, such as the stone house, Hiža. How do you elaborate on the choice and combination of materials?

The materials we use are timeless, they were used before us and will be used long after our time. The architect must understand their unique characteristics and possibilities to master them in a wanted way.

We embrace the wisdom of the local tradition and merge it with our creative ideas and the new technologies that are available to us. That makes it possible to use ‘’old’’ materials in new ways. The essence of the material is preserved, but the impressions are contemporary.

7. Which is the most challenging project you have

encountered since you started the career? Could you say something about it?

There is no project that I could single out as the most challenging one. Every project od ours, small or big, had one or more challenging elements that we had to deal with. Functional, aesthetic or engineering struggles are a part of our daily work, in small family retreats or large football stadiums. Scale is not the challenge, the content and conditions are. But as I previously said, that is one of the things that make this profession ever surprising and exciting .

8. What's your impression of the Chinese architecture?If you have a chance, what kind of work would you want to leave in China?

We have visited Chin thirteen years ago and it is one of the most impressive destinations. Although we are not thoroughly familiar with contemporary Chinese architectural production, there is nothing like old and new China, and both are positively overwhelming. I admire the pushing forward and focus on the future, while respecting the Old. Constant growth and open-mindedness to influences out of your geographical frontiers only confirms this aspiration to exceed in every filed including architecture.

Building in china would be an extraordinary challenge, just dealing with unfamiliar surroundings,conditions is exciting by itself. No matter the size and program I would like to leave a piece that shows how PROARH coped with authentic, local genius loci.