It's all about enthusiasm
Bratislava. At the premiere of the November Talks in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, we heard from Kata Marunica and Nenad Ravnić, two young, Croatian architects from Zagreb. They founded their company NFO together in 2008.
Their presentation covered several areas, or rather phases. It took a great deal of courage and conviction to start their own business, not least because 2008 was a difficult period for even the most established Croatian architects. When they first started out, they had to make do with an office space with just 1.90 metres of headroom, and the majority of their work involved creating visualisations for other architects or documentation for unapproved buildings. This type of documentation is particularly prevalent in the Balkans. Before long, real sales orders started to roll in thanks to their philosophy of “getting out there and looking rather than waiting in the studio”.
As far as the development of these young architects goes, the abundance of creative energy and enthusiasm found within a competitive environment is absolutely key – just as it is in so many young studios out there today. The pair received their first accolade in 2010 for the Paromlin Barracks competition project. This saw them transform a former factory in the centre of Zagreb into an urban swimming pool with a wind turbine in the chimney stack. The public were delighted; however, the administration had other ideas for the lucrative piece of property.
Another project, built on a tiny site, was presented in the spirit of a humorous experience with the authorities, but the result was a guest house in Pakoštan, which was nominated for building of the year within its category, despite only using cost-effective solutions and materials. If spectators are looking for grand gestures, which are usually extremely popular in the Balkans, then they're sure to be disappointed, as the focus here is on practicality, materiality, and minimalism.
Kata and Nenad seem to have invested the most energy into bringing this site in Crikvenica to life so far, which has a lot to do with the scope and number of groups involved. This is particularly pertinent when certain key role holders, such as site managers, are reluctant to work together. It took some convincing for people to realise that every element of the design was important in its own right and had a key role to play in creating a quality environment for people to enjoy. Ultimately, however, they overcame all obstacles and risks for a result which even saw the local mayor reelected. Above all, they were able to create a functional, quality, public space, and this can be seen in the pictures taken at various public events held there.
Very few project reports are exciting enough to keep an audience entertained from start to finish. Perhaps this is down to the fact that they had not taken on too many projects at once, and so were able to channel their enthusiasm and passion into their work. Perhaps it's because the NFO architects Kata and Nenad are still young and inspired. Or perhaps it's because they don't take themselves too seriously and know when to take a step back from their own work.
