Project
ATMOSFERA
Promenade along the river Lonja
Ivanic Grad, Croatia
Public plays
Social infrastructure
Transforming, adapting, reusing
Image: Bird view (photo by Danijel Krznaric)
Let’s go to Lonja – a promenade with designed urban furniture along the river

The river Lonja is the longest in Croatia that both rises and ends in the country. Ivanic Grad is a small town (with a total population of 8500) through which the river Lonja flows. The river banks have been fortified to prevent the damage of floods in the 1980s. The banks looked like a miserable engineering intervention, very derelict.
The promenade along the river project is a result of a vision that we have developed under the name Let’s go to Lonja! The vision was an invitation for habitants and politicians to finally do something about the problem of lack of adequate public spaces. The study was presented as a master plan, as a demountable poster.

The promenade in Ivanic Grad is laid on the rocks of the river Lonja, where it passes through the urban area. The concept is to follow the curve of the landscape and the 300 cm wide promenade, as well as to form extensions and retreats.

The structure of promenade is an armored concrete slab of 20 cm in thickness. The pedestrian-cycling area is sanded to the opening of the aggregates (river lances), while the retreats are exposed to aggregate concrete. The walkway is specially designed with four types of benches and litter bins. Four stages of the promenade construction are planned to be 3 km in total.

The problem that the local community demanded to solve with the design referred to urban furniture since young delinquents were destroying every new bench, litter bin and lamp, throwing them in the river Lonja. Within the project, we have designed over-dimensioned concrete, stable and heavy benches and litter bins so that several hundred of them can be poured out. The owner of the mold is the local community. The benches are coated with a thick layer of rubber in different colors which provides softness and warmth while sitting. The benches are easily maintained and very durable, therefore solving the problem of vandalism.

This promenade is just a small part of what could be done in the future – a network of arranged and designed public spaces in the city. The cities often connect their neighborhoods by public spaces – as a starting point, by the downtown center, by the main square.

As a result of project and the construction of the promenade, the city gained social space. A lot of people take walk, hang out, ride bikes, skate, enjoy the promenade with friends. Taking walks, moving and socializing have a positive effect on the physical and mental health of the inhabitants.

Impact

The awareness of the importance of arranged public space has grown recently. The design of the benches and litter bins is original and unique. The local community is very proud of its “product” and now they clearly understand the relationship between product design, product and developing the complete vision of the city. They continue with the expansion of arranged public spaces because they have realized the value for the money.
The promenade in Ivanic Grad has been published in several books and on many web portals as a positive example of the impact on the neighborhood.

Brushed concrete to open the peebles

Along the nature curves

Feel the line

Walk the line

Prefab public furniture

ATMOSFERA

The name ATMOSFERA™ reflects our thinking and attitude towards design. Architecture creates a harmonious relationship between spaces, objects, and nature. Integrity, aesthetic purity, and balance are important parts of our philosophy. We are fully committed to creating intellectually fresh, progressive, functional, and technologically sensitive projects.
We record all ideas and develop them on a conceptual and abstract level, regardless of their possible usability and future application. This way, besides the implemented architecture, we produce many experimental projects for non-specific/imaginary positions and clients. A corporation or an individual can expect a clear and recognizable contemporary concept adjusted to a particular lifestyle. ATMOSFERA™ works in the field of architecture and product design. We also contribute with ideas, analyses, and studies in the area of strategic thinking at a global, state, or lower level.

Architectural practice
Croatia

Dive Club

boomerang interactive furniture

Visitor Centre in the National park Krka