THE MATICA HRVATSKA (MATRIX CROATICA) BUILDING IN ZAGREB – GROUND FLOOR ADMINISTRATIVE AND OFFICE PREMISES INTERIOR – BASEMENT ADAPTATION FOR CLUB PREMISES AND EXHIBITION GALLERY – ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION OF THE COURT-YARD BUILDING WITH SPACIOUS HALL

Ovaj je rad autorski arhitektonsko-urbanistički presjek kronologije obnove i interijerskog oblikovanja zgrade Matice hrvatske u Zagrebu, kao i njenog dvorišnog dijela – čiji je tvorac sveukupne oblikovne koncepcije i adaptacije upravo autor ovoga teksta Mario Beusan. U travnju 1992. godine - uz obilježavanje 150. obljetnice Matice hrvatske - na poziv njene uprave, M. Beusan započeo je adaptaciju i uređenje interijera reprezentativnih i uredskih prostorija u prizemlju zgrade Matice hrvatske. Posve devastirano, zapušteno i trošno prizemlje zgrade valjalo je obnoviti. Oblikovna koncepcija obnove, adaptacije i interijera bila je temeljena na ideji da se u novouređenim Matičinim prostorijama, na jedan profinjen, ublažen način, osjeti izvorni historicistički duh posljednje četvrtine 19. stoljeća, kojemu pripada zatečena arhitektonska struktura, a koji u konačnici svjedoči da je riječ o instituciji s dugom tradicijom. Zgrada Matice hrvatske izvedena je 1886. godine na Akademičkom trgu br. 5. Tlocrt prizemlja u obliku je slova L. Njegov duži krak orijentiran je na zapad, a kraći na sjever. Prema tlocrtnom ustroju, zgrada pripada tipu s centralnim hodnikom, duž kojega se nižu prostorne ćelije s pročeljne i začeljne (dvorišne) zone. Glavni ulaz lociran je u osovini glavnog pročelja (zapad), dok je sporedni ulaz u predzadnjoj prozorskoj osi sjevernoga pročelja. Nakon dovršenja interijera u prizemlju, na poziv predsjednika Matice hrvatske Vlade Gotovca M. Beusan prihvatio se vrlo izazovnog zadatka - izrade projekta adaptacije interijera podruma Matičine zgrade pod nazivom „Klub i Galerija Matice hrvatske“. Krajem 1993. dovršio je projekt, koji je tijekom 1994. većim dijelom i realiziran, uz neke kasnije sadržajne izmjene (galerija se i dalje koristi za povremene izložbe mladih umjetnika). U travnju 1998., na inicijativu predsjednika Matice hrvatske akademika Josipa Bratulića, Beusan je dovršio idejni projekt "Dvorana Matice hrvatske" za novu Matičinu kuću u dvorištu postojeće zgrade (istočni rub) - pozvavši arhitekticu Irenu Jurin (tvrtka „Renova“) na izradu dokumentacije za građevinsku dozvolu i za izvedbu zgrade. U ožujku 2001. I. Jurin je prema Beusanovom idejnom projektu dovršila svu potrebnu dokumentaciju, a on je za to vrijeme izradio projekt interijera nove zgrade. Njeno svečano otvorenje bilo je 28. lipnja 2002. kad je Matica hrvatska proslavila 160. godišnjicu svoga postojanja.This paper is the author\u27s architectural and urban overview of the Zagreb-situated Matica hrvatska building reconstruction and interior design chronology, as well as that of its court-yard part – whereas the author of the overall construction concept and adaptation is the author of the text himself – Mario Beusan. In April 1992 – in the course of celebrating Matica hrvatska\u27s 150th anniversary – M. Beusan was invited by its administrative management and began working on the adaptation and renovation of the interiors of representative premises and offices on the building\u27s ground floor. Being completely devastated, neglected and dilapidated, the ground floor was in need of overall renewal. The reconstruction, adaptation and interior design concept was based on the idea to catch the refined and slightly modified authentic historical spirit of the 19th century\u27s last quarter (to which the given architectural structure belonged to), and it resulted in testifying also of the institution\u27s long tradition. The Matica hrvatska building with its address at Akademički trg 5 was built in 1886. The ground floor layout was L-shaped. Its longer wing is oriented to the west, and the shorter one to the north. According to the layout structure, the building falls into the central corridor type, along which there are spacious cells in the front and back (court-yard) zones. The main entrance is located in the main facade axis (west), whereas the side entrance is in the next to the last window\u27s axis of the northern facade. After the ground floor interiors were completed, M. Beusan accepted the invitation of Vlado Gotovac, Matica hrvatska\u27s president at the time, to carry out a very challenging task – to elaborate the design project for interior adpatation of Matica hrvatska\u27s basement premises named Klub i Galerija Matice hrvatske (Matica hrvatska\u27s Club and Gallery). The project was completed by the end of 1993, and carried out in its major part during 1994, with some of its contents being consequently altered (the gallery is still being used for occasional exhibiting of works by young artists). In April of 1998, based on the initiative of academic Josip Bratulić, the then president of Matica hrvatska, Beusan completed the initial project design „Dvorana Matice hrvatske“ (Matica hrvatska\u27s Hall) for Matica\u27s new house in the existing building\u27s court-yard (east fringe) – inviting architect Irena Jurin („Renova“ firm) to elaborate the documentation for the construction permit and building design. In March of 2001 Irena Jurin completed all the necessary documentation on basis of Beusan\u27s initial project design, while he made the design for the new building\u27s interiors. The grand opening took place on June 28, 2002, when Matica hrvatska celebrated its 160th anniversary