DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT In preparing this presentation, we tried to strictly follow the indications given for the plan, but in certain situations, we let our imagination roam, because the site and the subject competition are very inspiring for an architectural modification project. Let us begin by assuring you this plan respects the guidelines as presented to us.  However, not finding any specific request to strictly adhering to the given conditions, we took some freedom in a few areas, where we are proposing better solutions.  One example is the elimination of the double layer on the roof of Hotel Fortuna.  Another instance is a more flexible interpretation for the building’s placement around the cloister.   We will discuss these in more detail at the appropriate time.

RECEPTION AND MULTIPURPOSE HALL The guest arrives at the compound, and disembarks on a jetty in front of the Splendid building.  The jetty will be covered with a white cloth in tension on a stainless steel structure made in nautical style, that will transport the guest to the portal in front of the Reception.  In addition, the wide portal, which is the doorway to the St. Nikola’s island, will be a safe area for in-transit people to wait in, as well as to protect the stored golf cars, bicycles and other means of transportation.  Waiting benches will be available in that area.  The reception area will be set to the north-west building restructure, transforming this part into a big hall, with large windows overlooking the Porec bay.  Four check-in desks will be set in the hall, as well as relative back offices, and places will be available for guests to relax and wait.   On the same level will be the customers’ toilets, and the luggage and utility room. The coffee shop and the Valamar shop will be at the back of the check-in desks, following a modern concept of “open space”.  Wide windows in the coffee shop will make it possible for customers to view the Porec bay.  Behind the cafeteria and the shop, there will be a multipurpose room, about 700 m2, which will have the possibility to be divided into three separate areas, depending on the needs of management.     On the back site (south-east) will be set all the necessary rooms for the staff and other workers.  The multipurpose hall will have a total view of the bay, and will be free useless ornaments. The Reception Area will be the hub from which all the routes branch off:  to the lounge bar on the right, to hotel Fortuna on the left, and straight ahead to the Isabella Castle, the hotel Miramare, and the mansion houses.

THE INTERPRETED CLOISTER The CastleWe think that the Isabella castle does not need much important external work, but on a subsequent planning step, we can eventually talk about a restyling of the interior decoration and furniture.  The cloister and Dependence Miramare On the issue of the cloister’s modernization, the most delicate part is the relationship between two powerful presences:  the castle, with its 800’s end-of-century architecture, and the hotel Miramare, an imposing building with its rational style typical ’50.The most important point here is to converge these existing styles with two new buildings to be developed, and a central cloister. The greatness and the position of the Miramare gives the feeling of a mirror on a wall. To soften the barrier effect, we thought of knocking down the top floor, but that is not a solution since we do not have a view of the sea anyway.  The idea of transforming the Miramare hotel into a frame around a view of the sea could be the right solution to reach two important results:1-  Priority – main concern:  the historical importance of Castle Isabella, unlike the other buildings.2 -  Inclusion – to give transparency and force bringing up to date a building (Dependence Miramare), realized on an inadequate place, without changing the original architecture, but stringing its modern and rational features to allow its inclusion in the context. Pavilion Miramare – south building For the above listed reasons, and to avoid a multiple overlap of architectural styles for the realization of the new Pavilion Miramare, the connecting building from the castle to the Dependence Miramare, we are thinking of a simple, neutral and linear architecture.   The façade is stepped with a regular colonnade that resumes the same movement of the east prospect of Dependence Miramare, to remember or recall the sobriety of an the ancient cloister.   On the north side of the cloister, the presence of the older style Mediterranean lanterns, and the only evidence of authentic minor Venetian architecture in the island, made us reflect on the opportunity to continue to add more buildings on this side of the cloister.  Another important element to save and improve is the gorgeous view of the sea from this particular angle of the island. These are the reasons which moved us to concentrate all the new rooms on the south side of the cloister, and set up on the opposite side a one-floor building to serve as a breakfast/restaurant area, with its own kitchen and an elegant lounge bar. As a result, the Miramar restaurant will be a transparent glass box, covered by a piling roof, which could serve as a terrace designed to command an outstanding view. In conclusion, we think it is very important to give the building the most transparency possible, to relate the cloister to the most beautiful and natural part of the island and the spectacular view of the sea.  As a result, three of the sides will be glass, while the fourth side will be an Istrian stone wall that will link the new and the old.  The house of the caretaker, with its typical Istrian style, will host a wine cellar/ wine bar serving the typical local wines, and will connect the new compound with the old Venetian lighthouse by a staircase.  Another very important matter to emphasize is to insert the old lighthouse in the visual context of the cloister, and to connect the old house of the caretaker to the architecture of the new restaurant, without suffocating the ancient building. The Dependence Miramare will be actualized by being totally refurbished and modernized. It will maintain the original shape and the cadence of columns, and “the empty and full load” of the west prospect, as a historical trace of the rationalist architecture on the island.The Dependence Miramare will have a total of 25 rooms of 42 square meters; Dependence and Pavilion Miramare will be communicating through the inner corridors and the two blocks of stairs;  both will be connected directly to the breakfast room and to the Miramare restaurant, through covered corridors and a porch.  The swimming pool will be centered, positioned at the entrance of the cloister, with a side square of 15 mt..  The space around will be designed for sunbaths and the solarium zone.The restaurant and lounge bar Miramare will be on the same level as the pool, and these will be opened on two sides:  the cloister and swimming pool side, and the sea terrace side, so as to guarantee the service to these two important areas.

RIVETTA-LOUNGE BAR The Rivetta Lounge bar, which is situated at the left of the Reception, will be restructured.  It will be rebuilt following the demands of “programme brief”, in the same position as the existing building;  the east prospect will be a totally an open façade, and will have a large terrace with a capacity for 150 seats, with a panoramic view on the city of Porec.   The interior of the lounge bar will contain places for 50 seats, two toilets for the guests.  Beneath the restaurant, in the underground level, we have thought to originate the central warehouse of the island; a 100 m2, divided in three sections, and with direct access from the road.The water front, located at the front of the Rivetta lounge bar, will be designed and arranged to serve as a sunbath terrace.

HOTEL FORTUNA  Without a doubt, the actual Fortuna Hotel is the most imposing building of the Saint Nikola island, due to its dimensions and its architectural characteristics.    The first step of the project is to clean up the façade and remove all existing ornaments.  The actual gable roof with the red tile does not fit with the big proportions of the building; but makes it heavy, and certainly does not harmonize with the sky line of Porec and its waterfront.  This kind of large roof is not typical of the Istrian architecture.  Moreover, we think that the existing construction does not have anything that relates either with Porec, or with the traditional Istrian architecture. We have thought of removing that roof, which is not at all tied to the territory and its history, and to break the linear forehead in many small facades spaced out from light and shadow zones, and to transform it into an urban profile that reflects Porec. The prospect of the hotel Fortuna wants to be the appearance of the reflection on the water of the city of Porec, carved in the stone of the island of Saint Nikola.  The casually inserted pastel colors and mixed with the white stone of Istra, represents the identity that joins Porec and the Saint Nikola island to the other historical cities of the Adriatic coast. For the same reasons, we have thought to avoid the ulterior lengthening of the building forehead on the right side of the building, as proposed in the tender;  we tried to concentrate all the new rooms to be built inside the existing shape and within the new body over the conference hall. The plan has followed in detail the indications of the Tender, proposing a solution that assumes to maintain the existing structure in concrete.  In our opinion, and based on our experience, in similar cases, it is more convenient economically, and from the point of view of the final result of the work, to demolish the existing structure and rebuild the building, or part of it.  The existing structural walls in concrete, and the height of the ceilings (2,50 meters) of the third and fourth plan, greatly condition the creation of ideal, and very pleasant and large rooms.   The ground floor will be totally destined to the common spaces, and to the services.  Rooms on this plan are not previewed. The actual hall will be conceptually transformed to a small, Istrian covered square, inner “courtyard” style, a square with the central part of the ceiling, which will reach 6 meters of height.  There will be space for the concierge desk, the offices, a small drawing room in the middle of the courtyard, and around it will be arranged the different corners for several activities which require seating, such as an internet spot, a playing cards corner, a TV corner, etc,;  it will be an open space concept area.  Considering the immediate vicinity of the lobby bar, drinks will be readily available while guests are indulging in their favorite pastime.  From the “courtyard”, which is open on four sides, access will be possible to the Lobby bar, to the Restaurant, to the MICE;  from here the upper floors could be reached through the stairs and the elevators. We have thought to give a double height ceiling to the central part of the courtyard, to give more transparency, brightness and air to the façade towards Porec, as this will become indeed the central point of Hotel Fortuna. The access to the restaurant will be also from the “Istrian court”.  The new restaurant will maintain its original position.  It will have a capacity for 370 inside seats, and 250 outside seats.  The façade looking toward Porec will be totally open, without any barriers, to have more natural light.  For the same reasons, ceiling windows could be built into the cover of the terrace. The kitchen maintains its original position, the new access will be at the back of the building. The lobby bar will be reached directly from the central courtyard, and also through a corridor. The two activities will be unified and localized in strategic positions, centralized between the hall of the hotel, the terrace, the swimming pool and the wellness area.  It will be an open space, with much flexibility to be subdivided with movable furniture items, as needed by management, without having intermediate dividing walls.  A small grill will be previewed outside on the swimming pool side of the terrace. The total capacity of the Lobby bar and Pool Restaurant is of 50, plus 20 inside places, and 120 places on the sea terrace. Behind the Lobby bar, a corridor will connect the inner courtyard to the wellness center and to the dressing rooms of the swimming pool.  The wellness center is developed on two floors.  On the ground floor will take place the dressing rooms, the entrance and a boutique, and the Finnish and infrared sauna, steam room, private rooms, relaxation rooms, whirlpools and a beauty area.  The fitness rooms will be localized on the first floor. The wellness center will have also an external access on the back side, which is located on the south side and is a very sunny area, where it has been believed to transform the uncovered space in a Mediterranean garden with terraces and bathtubs and a Jacuzzi. The wellness center will occupy one total surface of 700 m2.  From the wellness center, it will be very easy to reach the south part of the swimming pool directly, where it will be previewed to be an area for relaxation, and a pool for adults only. The area for swimming will be totally redesigned and restructured, creating two separated zones, with two distinct pools.  A pool near the bar and restaurant, for family and children, with water games and slides, and another pool near Oliva reserved for adults only.  The capacity of the pool will be doubled compared to the existing situation, and the solarium will have place for 350 beds.

The MICE (Conference Hall) is situated on the ground floor in front of the main entrance.  It will be reached from the inner courtyard, crossing a small patio.  A small entrance hall, opened on two sides from which it filters the external natural light;  the entrance hall will also serve as a reception area, where a desk can be installed when needed for receptions and other events.  On both sides of the entrance hall there are two small rooms which would serve as a warehouse and kitchenette.  The concept off the MICE is a one wall room, divisible with mobile partitions into three rooms of 100, 50, and 20 pax  The Water Front and Oliva Beach bar To complete the area of Fortuna, the actual water front has to be redesigned.  The reconstruction will consider the natural aspect, emphasizing the value of the environment and the scenery.  It will be important to remove the effect of a wharf and a port from the seafront of Fortuna, transforming the sea promenade with pleasant, mixed spaces of a variety of material, green spaces with typical plants, wooden platforms, gravel, earth and paving in stone and spaces to be designed for sunbaths.  The whole design will enhance the connection of the water with the island.  The Villas The various typologies of units have been studied in order to better verify which typology turns out more adapted to fit better in the surrounding atmosphere.  We started from the typical Istrian house reviewed in modern key;  we studied two alternative models;  one with traditional gable roof, and one modern with a flat roof..  We propose them all because we think that all of them can fit in the natural surrounding. A Mediterranean vegetation will wrap the villas on three sides, leaving free only the side on the sea.  An open visual cone for every villa will allow a view on the sea. To cross the island from one part to the other will be a pleasure, and the footpath will be studied in the shapes and the materials for being adaptable and convenient for walking, and for passage of golf cars and other such matters.   Construction Material: For  the Restructuring  and the reconstruction we think to use traditional construction system and for coverings will suggest materials as Istrian white stone, traditional pastel coloured façades, wood, glass and the stainless steel.