Dubrovnik is listed as UNESCO world heritage site but there are still abandoned valuable spatial resources in the center of the city. The site proposed under the project is the Old Hospital complex located in the very center of the city of Dubrovnik, near the UNESCO protected historical core. The Hospital complex consists of several buildings built over the years. The main building was built at the end of the 19th c. The rest of the complex was finished in the middle of the 20th c. New hospital in a city of Dubrovnik was built during the 1980s, and several hospital wards were moved to new location. Buildings on the site were abandoned during the homeland war in 1990s and since then this site has been neglected, until a few years ago local authorities gave some parts of the complex to different organizations. Old Hospital complex has been almost closed since 1991; a small part of complex is used by different organizations for their programs. Most of the complex and environment is completely devastated and it is not in condition for use. The present condition of complex is totally unacceptable due to its position in the very center of city and its potential values for local community that might benefit from well-developed programs.
The reconstruction, renovation and change of program of old hospital complex could accept public and social activities, which could greatly improve quality of life for the citizens of Dubrovnik, through different activities ranging from the education, public debates, interdisciplinary workshops, media campaign, art performing, research to conferences etc. In doing so, a "lighthouse" in a form of Old Hospital site offers new approaches for a solution on a process of urban regeneration of historical sites.
Since the context of Dubrovnik is always burdened with the iconic image of the old town, this project should maybe start a dialog with the past to set up rules for the future. There are similarities to the Zadar project: the Dubrovnik authorities are certain that the university program will help them define “lost” locations, but it is necessary to carefully examine the relationships between university programs and city programs. Moreover, the Dubrovnik location has a huge natural value; the project should critically relate to the current state of affairs. A good outcome of the project could be the creation of one of the most interesting cultural/urban/academic densities in a spectacular Mediterranean landscape.