Croatian Projects Among The Best In The World

Two of the best structures in the world constructed during the past two years are located in Croatia. The first is the suspension bridge at Skradin and the second is the Sea Organ that is already famous far and wide and has become one of the symbols of the city of Zadar. These are, admittedly, only nominations in various categories for the CEMEX Award, the so-called “Concrete Oscars”. Which structures will become award winners will be known in early November when an international panel of judges in the Mexican city of Montevideo will announce the best projects in the individual categories. The Skradin bridge is located on the newly constructed Zagreb – Split highway and is running in the category of infrastructural structures, while Zadar’s Sea Organ, already winner in Barcelona of the prestigious European award for urban public areas, is competing in the public areas category. The “suspension” bridge in Skradin features a massive concrete arch stretching across some 200 metres and is very attractive because of its exceptional location and because of the unbelievable view that shoots out from it – to one side of the green canyon of the Krka River and the city of Skradin itself, and to the other side of Lake Prokljansko, which has made the bridge the chief viewpoint in the area. Unlike the bridge, which is a type of structure that appears around the world, the Sea Organ is something quite different. This is a real organ built into a staggered concrete waterfront. It are about 70 metres long with a total of 35 pipes in the concrete through which air flows playing a melody that is dictated by the activity of the sea and wind and can be enjoyed day and night by people out for a stroll on the waterfront. Zadar’s waterfront has, thanks to this original project, become a new meeting place for both tourists and the people of Zadar itself.
City of Skradin Tourist Board

FROM: JOURNALIST WEB