Zvonimir Vrkljan completed his architectural studies in 1924 at the Architectural Department of the Technical College in Zagreb, and furthered his education through study periods in Vienna and Florence. These experiences placed him in direct contact with Central European and Italian architectural currents that shaped his early professional outlook.
From 1926 to 1931, Vrkljan worked in the atelier of Ignjat Fischer, one of the leading figures of Croatian architecture. During these years he gained practical experience in the design of functional floor plans and in disciplined structural thinking, which became defining features of his later work. In 1931 he opened his own architectural practice, which he ran independently until 1941 (when Croatia became3 fashist).
After 1941, Vrkljan’s career shifted increasingly toward academia. He became a full professor at the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Zagreb, where he taught building structures until his retirement in 1972. In the decades following the war, he held several terms as vice-dean and dean, published numerous professional and scientific texts on structural design, and played an important role in architectural education in Croatia.
In recognition of his lifetime achievements, he received the Viktor Kovačić Award in 1969 and the Vladimir Nazor Award in 1977. In 1988, he was elected a corresponding, and later full, member of the Yugoslav (today Croatian) Academy of Sciences and Arts (HAZU).
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