Situated on the idyllic eastern shore of the Adriatic, the coastal city of Šibenik meets the sea in a picturesque array of stone walls and faded red roofs. But just steps from the water, the romance fades as the tranquil seaside suddenly gives way to a car-dominated and congested urban centre. The main square was even replaced by a parking lot, which hemmed in the neighbouring theatre and library with vehicles. Thanks to a sensitive intervention by Dubrovnik-based Atelier Minerva and the University of Zagreb’s Faculty of Architecture, however, that once-integral civic space is reborn. 

After concealing the new carpark below grade, Atelier Minerva transformed the entrance into a civic stage.

Poljana Square is an 11,800-square-metre open and flexible public forum that conceals a new underground parking garage and logistics hub beneath its hardscape surface. The sloped garage entrance creates an informal amphitheatre above, transforming the space around it into an impromptu stage. Meanwhile, a small circular fountain on the southern edge creates a quieter focal point. 

The angular geometry of the site is offset by the inset circular fountain.

Clad in local Mediterranean white stone, the square speaks to the surrounding architectural heritage while the pedestrian-oriented refurbishment rekindles the area’s previous role as a meeting place. The bold lines and sharp angles that mark the gentle incline of the terrain — and its eye-catching sheltered canopies fitted with integrated seating — also present a distinctly contemporary face to the medieval city. 

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1The angular entrance to the car garage doubles as an amphitheatre and performance area.

2Diagonal lines cutting across the plaza hint at the contours of the former square.

3A small fountain creates a meeting place and a soft counterpoint to the site’s geometry.

“Identity can only be preserved if it is attacked,” says lead architect Ivana Tutek, describing the project as a mediation between the city’s past and present. Inscribed with a darker stone, the diagonal lines that stretch across reflect both the paved walkways of the erstwhile square and the informal desire paths that bisect urban spaces.

While the hardscape plaza reflects an urban character, shaded seating and greenery offer respite.

The geometry of the shaded canopies in turn references the angular grace of architect Ivan Vitić’s neighbouring Šibenik library from 1961. By hosting a dialogue between these eras, Poljana Square speaks a language of its own.