• Architects: Sto posto prirodno d.o.o., Zagreb
  • Project time frame: 2016–2017
  • Type of building: Public building
  • Product: AQUAPANEL® Cement Board SkyLite
  • Application area: 14,000 m2 tunnel ceiling

Hidden in the Velika Paklenica canyon near the coast of central Croatia lays a destination that was a well-kept secret for more than 40 years. In the 1950s the Yugoslav army had built an extensive tunnel and bunker system there, covered by up to 800 meters of rock of the Paklenica national park. Just in recent years the bunkers came back into the public focus. The park administration wanted to create a presentation centre and engaged Zagreb based architects Sto posto prirodno d.o.o for refurbishment and construction.

The project not only comprised work on the tunnels themselves, but also the creation of a presentation centre, a souvenir shop with coffee bar and even an indoor climbing installation with an exhibition of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service – making the former bunkers a full-scale tourist attraction. In order to make the tunnel system safely viable and ensure the visitors’ comfort, most of the tunnel ceilings were clad. The environment was characterised by temperatures of 16 – 18° C with a constant impact of moisture. This demanded a robust solution, which was water-proof and resistant to mould and mildew. It was a perfect task for AQUAPANEL® Cement Board SkyLite, featuring the desired resilience and a high flexibility.

Thanks to its bending radius of up to 1 m per board, the material could easily be used in the rounded tunnels. So the drylining solution significantly contributed to a pleasant as well as thrilling visit to the “Underground Secrets of Paklenica”.