Flora Tourist Resort in Njivice
The unique space of controlled views allows the user direct contact with the surroundings, fulfilling one of the paradigmatic dreams of the Mediterranean – that of living in nature and with nature.
The urban planning of the Flora resort is developed around two primary, distinctive structures.
The first comprises detached single-storey structures scattered amidst greenery, while the second is formed of vertically extended two-storey units.
CONTEXT
In the small fishing village of Njivice on the island of Krk, a tourist resort was developed during the 1960s and 1970s. Designed as a typical Yugoslav holiday resort, it includes a campsite, two hotels, and a tourist village with 80 “bungalows” – small accommodation units generated by multiplying 4 basic types, dispersedly distributed over a total area of 44,000 m². Despite a certain charm, the prefabricated buildings became substandard in the context of today’s tourism demands.
Following its construction, the resort was neglected. Decaying over time, it yielded space to the oak forest, which gradually reclaimed the territory. The dense, wooded atmosphere of the existing environment, combined with the immediate proximity to the sea, created spaces pleasant for staying and relaxation.
The input parameters of the spatial planning documentation did not allow for an increase in construction within the subject area, thereby preserving the exceptionally high-quality natural context. Furthermore, ownership conditions, restricted to the direct zone beneath the building itself, necessitated the complete retention of the buildings’ volumetric dimensions. These restrictions resulted in maintaining a remarkably low building density—contrary to the standards of post-war tourist urbanism in Croatia—but also in preserving a large part of the impressive oak forest, which represents the greatest environmental value of the location.
INTERVENTION
The concept of the new buildings is defined in relation to the immediate context. The environment is allowed to filter into the interior in a controlled manner, becoming an equivalent element of the design, precisely relating to specific interior/exterior moments.
The uniqueness of the resort is achieved through the multiplication of 4 different types, which are variations of the core concept. The diversity of the typology is conditioned by the required accommodation capacity and the existing dimensions on the site. The single-storey types are shaped by shifting the volumes horizontally, while the two-storey types are shifted vertically.
ARCHITECTURE
The urban planning of the Flora resort is developed around two primary, distinctive structures. The first comprises detached single-storey structures scattered amidst greenery, which allows for a higher level of privacy for individual units. The second is formed of vertically extended two-storey units densely arranged in clusters, whose disposition shapes central public micro-environments with communal facilities.
The separation of the core functional zones – the living spaces (semi-public/semi-private) and the sleeping spaces (private) – is manifested through the design of two volumes with contrasting characters. The first, a monolithic, introverted volume, predominantly houses the functions of passive rest, precisely framing forest segments that the guest experiences from the room/bathroom.
The second, more open volume, with a strong visual and physical extension into the outdoor space, communicates more directly with the forest, opening up through glass walls towards the terrace, which is an integral design element of the structure, thereby forming a space for active, extroverted living. It is enveloped by a timber pergola that creates transitional spaces for outdoor living.
The final stage in the gradation of the relationship with the context is achieved across 20 buildings in the form of a roof terrace, where the user experiences a complete and direct connection with the context (the tree canopies) and the dissolution of all boundaries between the building and the forest.
INTERIOR
Through a multidisciplinary design approach and by involving product designers and illustrators, a more complete and specific result was sought to be achieved. The very concept of the interior solution was defined by two decisive factors: the context of the Kvarner karst coastal forest on one hand, and the targeted cost-effectiveness and speed of construction on the other. The combination of these input parameters clearly directed the design ambition towards achieving an almost spartan interior, which connects the interior and exterior through the openness and dynamics of the space.
The unique space of controlled views allows the user a direct contact with the surroundings, fulfilling one of the paradigmatic dreams of the Mediterranean – that of living in nature and with nature. This degree of reduced decoration insists on high-quality, robust materials and strong, tectonic spatial features. The best illustration of this principle can be seen in the hybrid element that unifies the functions of a room divider and a dining table, while simultaneously providing a logical spot for the indispensable TV screen. The balanced composition of this assembly, made from a solid wooden slab, articulates spatial relationships and usage scenarios, eliminating the need for further decorative interventions characteristic of “interior design”. Besides the fact that this design language is inherent to our design approach, simple and solid multi-functional elements reduce the risk of damage and maintenance costs within the intensive exploitation regime of tourism.
As an upgrade to the elementary approach to interior design, which is dominated by concrete, timber, black and white board elements and walls, accents required by the tourism product categorization are introduced in the form of illustrations by Danijel Žeželj and carpets that adopt the colouring and graphics of Krk national costumes, introducing the colour palette of the local visual expression.
