We are often asked about the concept, the idea that guided us during the design process, and how we arrived at the final solution.
Rethinking The Future Awards 2025
First Award | Urban Design (Built)
Project Name: Pedestrian Zone SB
Category: Urban Design (Built)
Studio Name: Rechner Architects
Design Team: Rechner Architects
Area: 2.949m2
Year: 2024.
Location: Slavonski Brod, Croatia
Consultants: Rechner Architects
Photography Credits: Stojcic Multimedia Studio
Render Credits: Rechner Architects
Other Credits: Rechner Architects
And we? We come to the site, sit down and observe the space around us. We watch what passersby do, what captures their interest. We study the views, identify focal points, step from one side to the other, notice where the sun falls, where the shade settles.
We look for order, the hierarchy of space, the logic of movement, habits, flexibility of use, and the potential for future change. We analyze colors, intensity, rhythm, examine the surrounding buildings, their appearance, height. We talk to random passersby, asking about their experience of the space, what bothers them, what is missing, what brings them joy.
And when all of this is processed, the idea emerges naturally through the creative process. The newly renovated pedestrian zone is a contemporary public space characterized by an elegant, structured ground surface, modern urban furniture, and subtle, warm lighting. Its design is bold yet neutral in color, providing a stark contrast to the vibrant storefronts, facades, and numerous advertisements. For a new rhythm of the city.
