Holiday Homes in the Vicinity of Split, Croatia, Designed by Frano Gotovac – Continuity of Architectural Heritage

Frano Gotovac, a Split architect, is known as a designer of residential areas and dwelling houses in Split and Omis. In the course of his entire career Frano Gotovac also designed holiday homes for his friends, including some fifteen houses in the area of Split, characterised by the quality of architectural expression, specific spatial organisation, and well-thought-out plot utilisation. Gotovac drew inspiration from the rural settlements in Dalmatia. He modified some traditional architectural forms, such as the slanting roof and arched windows, adapting them to suit the modern architectural expression. He rarely used some traditional building materials – half-round tile and stone – only exceptionally heeding recommendations of urban plans concerning their use with a view to achieving a “satisfactory” look of a typical coastal house. The houses are rather small, like the historical ones, built with inexpensive building materials, in accordance with the modest finances of the investors. Following the historical examples of country-style residential architecture, Gotovac always strives to establish a contact between the houses’ interior and exterior, avoiding direct views of the neighbouring houses. It was not always easy with regard to weekend- cottages densely constructed on small plots and close to one another, unlike traditional summer residences owned by few wealthy individuals. The houses represent the author’s contribution to the humanisation of space in weekend cottage settlements frequently built without any urban plans, signifying the architect’s concept and his specific approach to the modern country-style architecture in the circumstances of socialist economy. Many areas in Dalmatia, bearing marks of year-long uncontrolled illegal construction, have been deprived of their identity. The question of how to re-establish the natural connection with the tradition and historical and cultural patterns, how to build in future without jeopardising the inherited values – these questions are still extremely relevant and pressing. Gotovac’s well- tried designing method, his concepts and aims, as well as the author’s valuable realisations, can all help in searching for answers and dealing with contemporary designing tasks in the areas rich in architectural tradition.