Goli Otok is situated between the islands Krk and Rab, in Northern Adriatic. During the period 1948 - 1989 it was one of the most notorious Yugoslavian political prisons of forced labour regime. Neighboring island St. Grgur was reserved for female political prisoners. In 1989 it was abandoned by the state decree, documents and evidences disappeared and the prison premises as well as island itself got completely devastated and robbed thereafter. No sound plan was ever made to revitalize these sites or to integrate them into the area, infuse them with life or to protect them in respect of a past. Most recently some happenings took place in a form of international theatres, as a one-day event that raised a public campaign. There is an initiative by the society of hunters from the neighboring island of Rab to transform it into the hunting area. Nevertheless, the island remains abandoned with what is left of the memories to an old regime.
However, within the context of accelerated development of the Croatian coast and tourism industry, Goli Otok would not stay untouched and empty as it is now. The possible scenario of natural and historical devastation could be avoided through the development of the strategies that are already questioned by actions and projects already proposed by MMC, Multimedia centre from Rijeka. They recognize a new concept for a tourism that would provide a favorable ground for the cultural and artistic production of quality on locations that with regards to their historical, environmental and urban specifics deserve such status but have been largely neglected in that respect.
A project anticipates Goli Otok as a "lighthouse" at which standard tourist attraction with a common commercial offer would not lead to devastation and immoral relationship towards the place of human suffering.
This island is definitely the most controversial location, considering the historic and cultural aspects of the place. On the other hand, it offers a great basis for a unique project. How can this place be used to develop a project that will turn leaden and heavy history into a lighthouse of a future democratic, cultural, enlightened Croatia? On what level, if any, can architecture interact with history? How to make the next step after Libeskind’s Holocaust Museum in Berlin? How to reveal the history of the place to hordes of “ignorant” tourists? Are there programs that are neither “theater” nor “rabbit hunt”, but are able to communicate with a place? What forms or architecture should such programs present? It is necessary to find new strategies for a society that has replaced the ideal of Work with an ecologically based (green) high technology, a technology reflecting a society that got rid of the “sins” of the past.