Our story starts from a simple cherry flower which creates a connection between tradition and our daily living. Inspired by the simple flower petal we came to a distinctive bench design. Main initiative was to introduce the 3D-printing of concrete and innovative solution that would reflect the connection between the past and future. With this project we hope to awake wonderful memories of the older generation while initiating a desire to preserve and keep the tradition.
Local
Croatia
Punat, island Krk, Primorsko - goranska Region, Croatia
Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
As an individual in partnership with other persons
First name: Sara Last name: Šulina Gender: Female Age: 22 Please attach a copy of your national ID/residence card:
By ticking this box, I certify that the information regarding my age is factually correct. : Yes Nationality: Croatia Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Pelinković 4 Town: Punat Postal code: 51521 Country: Croatia Direct Tel:+385 99 791 1774 E-mail:sara.sulina@gmail.com Website:https://projekttresnja.wixsite.com/home?lang=en
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Yes
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites
The project "Trešnja" focuses on improving public space with the help of modular outdoor furniture, which is designed according to ecological sustainable manners using a state-of-the-art manufacturing method and applying integrated greenery.
Local engagement and interest to use the park in a meaningful manner allowed us to directly interview local personalities and cure the essence of the rich, local culture. In the town Punat - on the island Krk - since the beginning of the war, a historical tradition has been cherished and maintained for years, which is meant to be transmitted across generations. This tradition revolves around the symbolic cherry tree, whose blossoms were the main inspiration for our outdoor furniture designs. Along the design process, we developed three different furniture designs creating one coherent “cherry” series, which are visually connected through their distinctive formgiving and the characteristic pattern of 3d printed concrete. With this contemporary manufacturing method, we intend to bridge the gap between generations and convey the historical message of the cherry tree tradition to the younger generation.
With this contemporary monument to our culture, we are laying the foundation for reviving the local tradition and conveying its historical message to all island visitors. One of the many unused public spaces is reinvigorated and regains its importance through freely distributed outdoor furniture.
revival of the local tradition
repurpose of the empty town square into a new gathering location
state-of-the-art additive manufacturing methods
honouring cultural heritage
involvment of all generations into one unique project
The concept is based on 3 main aspects of sustainability that have been considered throughout the project.
First of all, next to the project site there is a public park with abundant green space, which is continued as much as possible on the already paved square with our planted outdoor furniture.
Moreover, compared to traditional, subtractive production methods, the contemporary 3d printing technology (additive manufacturing) reduces & optimizes the usage of its raw material.
Last but not least, the tradition revolves around the cherry tree, which does not have to be cut down in a wasteful manner as usual, but simply continues to exist in the spirit of sustainability. We thus oppose a useless deforestation economy and also wish an adaptation of the tradition for future festivities.
In addition, we hope that in the future, more public areas can be given a greener character through integrated planted furniture without disturbing the ground with extensive excavation.
The key objective of our urban furniture design focuses on incorporating design characteristics such as multipurpose features, modularity and state-of-the-art additive manufacturing methods, in order to create a sense of belonging for the local culture in Punat.
One example of this is the use of 3D concrete printing to create a contemporary form-giving design for a square where people can gather. The furniture is designed with great attention to ergonomics, meaning that it is comfortable and easy to use for people of all ages and abilities. Additionally, it is multipurpose, featuring interactive seating possibilities, bicycle holders, and incorporated greenery to create a space that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
The original shape and the formgiving of our developed furniture designs, including a visually connected series of 3 bench designs, was initially inspired by the intention to revive the local tradition of Tresnja. Hence, the cherry blossom as a central inspiration, the urban bench design reflects upon its shape and the centuries of tradition linked to it.
"In order to know where you are going, you have to know where you came from", is a famous saying, representing the main message of our urban furniture design project "Tresnja". As tradition states, we aim to awake people of all generations into remembering and understanding the importance of customs, importance of tradition and knowing your origins.
Through our development of the project we wanted the focus to be on a particular part of the custom. This part represents the important fragment that shaped the overall bench design and our story. It focuses on the connection that this custom used to represent to the locals. The overall story represents itself as an opportunity for people to express their love for their chosen ones and to promise to wait for their return no matter where they are going.
With this in mind we designed a public square inspired by a meaningful story and formed by contemporary furniture design.
With the new monument to our culture, we are laying the foundation for reviving the tradition and bringing it closer to all island visitors. It depicts a generational exchange of culture, that is supposed to form the future of Punat.
Locals have not only been included but in fact inspired the overall project. Our project is designed for the society and its needs. At the moment the location of our project is just a plain, lifeless town square and with this project we are giving it new purpose, flow and meaning.
With this project we are hoping to create a new place for social gatherings for our community. In addition to creating a physical location we planed to initiate an online platform/ web page where locals can upload photographs and share their stories, memories with all of us. As project developed we started to receive messages from the locals and people that currently live in the States (people who moved to USA during the war shared old photos of their parents and grandparents).
Due to social media and folklore we got responses from local historians and recorders of cultural heritage. In collaboration with them we would like to participate in programs that wish to bring this subject closer to schools and children.
Our intentions from the beginning were to bring tradition closer to island visitors. With Punat being a prominent holiday destination we plan to develop the webpage with all of the customs so anybody could access it and research.
As previously mentioned local government and residents played a great part in the development of our project. We considered their help as a great base for the project and its growth. Local power and influence pushed us so we could deliver an excellent project at the end.
Everything started with a big research on written and visually captured evidences, and many conversations with older generations which led us to an exceptional experience of being told history at first hand.
Through collaboration with local cultural heritage curator we explored options on how we could bring our project to next level and use it as a symbol of knowledge that could be spread through our region.
In our project materials were chosen as a way to show contemporary and tradition could go hand by hand and leave an impact on each visitor. Therefor we decided to use new manufacturing methods that would attract visitors and spark interest in everyone. Through collaboration with Incremental 3D we are creating an innovative design with whom we hope to attract many more.
Development of this project started 2.5 years ago with three people on our team, two interior architecture students and one web designer/ CS student. As project grew in development and recognition, many people of various fields were contacted. From the very start we had support from the local government, especially the major that helped make our initially small idea into reality. Through out this years of designing and working on this project we were studying, therefore with a kind help of several our college professors we managed to bring the project to a certain level. Professors of different fields were included, from architects to industrial designers and 3D modelling experts.
In order to create the best solution for the public square we were always in contact with engineers, local construction companies and electricity experts. Since our concept evolves around the cherry tree it was our priority to create the ideal conditions for the tree, therefor horticulturist proposed several ideas which we implemented into our design proposal. Our manufacturing partner is the Incremental 3D located in Innsbruck, Austria. With their help we arrived to the ideal geometry and shape for our design.
Even though we were just students without much experience many people took our ideas very seriously and kindly offered their much appreciated help. We were collaborating with many locals, both young and older generations that shared many stories and memories about the Cherry tradition. In our opinion this part became the crucial point in our development, a part which inspired us the most, and after all the part that shaped the whole project.
Project Tresnja focuses highly on tradition and honouring old customs therefore we wanted to incorporate a new contemporary material such as the 3d printing of concrete. With this material we want to indicate how well contemporary and tradition work together.
Our benches would be the first examples of this new and innovative technology on the island Krk and further in the country. This project has the potential to inspire others to use this or other innovative manufacturing methods.
The key objective of our urban furniture design focuses on incorporating design characteristics such as multipurpose features and modularity in order to create an opportunity to continue production in our region or further. Products are designed to fit in different environments and locations. Design itself has three different modules that are connected through its particular and distinctive shape. Through the use of additive manufacturing methods such as the 3d printing we hope to initiate the use of this technology in our republic.
All over the world there are numerous customs on the verge of oblivion and we should do everything in our power to fight that, to save our legacy and traditions. Our projects' idea is to start from somewhere and to preserve customs of this small community. With achieving our goal to honour our ancestors, we are keeping their memory alive.
We are not simply developing town square design or a furniture piece that represents the custom itself, but implementing a modern solution on how we could never forget where we came from and how we used to live. Through this project and web page we are keeping our tradition alive.
With this project we hope to inspire others to help stop their tradition from dying and save it with a sustainable and eco friendly twist.
