Zadar is the centre of Zadar County, a middle part f the Adriatic coast. It is one of the coastal and Croatian cities that were heavily damaged during the war in the 90s. Zadar was physically destroyed through the bombing from the close fire-line in its very surrounding, but even more it suffered consequences for its social, economic and cultural life.
The isolation has stopped and Zadar is, as the rest of the country, undergoing new attacks in a form of uncontrolled development that over consumes the territory. Apart from these processes Zadar needs a platform for the kind of activities that would enhance the city's as well as region's youth and perspective.
This is at the moment important issue for the Zadar County, being the city of the first Croatian University, established as early as in 1396, among the first European universities. The University of Zadar has on its disposition several real estates on two different locations: on the SE of the Zadar Peninsula (Old city centre) so called Old campus and on previously army facility quarter.
The present condition of the buildings on Zadar Peninsula points out the saturation issue of the university facilities and the dislocation necessity of separate university departments and the library, in the way to enable their normal functioning and growth on the present location. A project foresees reconstruction and programming of an ex Yugoslav military camp into the spatial conditions for accommodation of educational activities. In doing so, it would create new values for the public, not only the students but for the citizens of the city of Zadar as well.
The location has certainly a fundamental importance for the further development of the city. The idea of the city authorities to make a university campus is more than acceptable. Still, the project should be very careful when investigating the possibilities of university functions overlapping with city programs: isolated campuses may not be an acceptable model for development and transition (of the political, economic, social and cultural structures) of Dalmatian cities. The vitality of the university (a public space replacing the old military complex) should spatially and conceptually overlap with the vision of new urban life in the Mediterranean. The task is almost calling for the definition of a new Mediterranean city.