Commercial interiors as new presentation spaces

Begović's first commercial interior in Zagreb was the renovation and interior design of the ground floor of the Vasić building at 11 Ilica street in Zagreb, which has the status of cultural heritage. The original design of the ground floor was for a retail space that was to be included into a string of commercial and residential rental buildings at the beginning of Ilica: today, it is an architectural and urban design monument and a model for urban design in city centres. In the late 1950s, the strengthening economy meant existing retail space had to be renovated and adapted. In the ground floor of the Vasić building, Begović worked on the interior designs of two retail spaces—Elektrotehna and Ukus. The retail space is set back from the existing line of the façade, giving Ilica more commercial space, while the street space is recessed into the ground floor, moving pedestrians from their usual path and directing them moderately into the interior space. Recessing the shop windows—the transparent barrier dividing public space from the interior—from the line of the buildings and the typical shop window space along the street allowed pedestrians to linger in front of the colourful world of the shops, thus increasing the possibility of a passer-by becoming a potential customer. This was a “showroom” in the modern sense, located in the basement, accessed by stairs in the entrance to the ground floor. Attraction, distinctiveness, and the ability to hold attention are exceptionally important elements in any interior, and all these elements are evident in this early work by Begović. By renovating the basement thus, Begović created a new, valuable commercial space in the heart of the city, which served as a template for other designs in old city centres where space was limited, and thus expensive. Finally, like the most prestigious shops, Begović provided the visitor and potential customer the possibility to gather their impressions of what they had seen by relaxing on a comfortable seating arrangement at the end of the space.