Vjesnik tower to be razed by controlled implosion

Zagreb’s Vjesnik tower will likely be demolished by controlled implosion, and officials say the operation could happen soon.

The announcement comes after structural engineers declared Monday that the building was unsafe following last week’s massive fire, which gutted the structure.

Mario Todorić, a structural engineer with the Croatian Center for Earthquake Engineering, inspected the tower with colleagues and said the situation is urgent.

“The state of the building is critical. We didn’t take this decision lightly. We had to go inside to assess the damage. According to our measurements, the strength of the most exposed parts of the structure has dropped to about one-fourth of what it was before the fire,” Todorić said.

Construction Minister Branko Bačić said mechanical demolition is not possible because the building is too unstable.

“That’s why the better approach is explosives, in a way that the building collapses toward Savska Street,” Bačić said.

He added that a demolition plan will be drafted to determine the exact method and establish a safety perimeter to protect nearby people and property. Bačić said the implosion could take place as early as next month.

Until the tower is brought down, the underpass along Slavonska Avenue will remain closed. Its closure has caused major traffic jams in Zagreb, as the avenue is one of the country’s busiest roads and the city's main east–west artery.

To ease congestion, the city is expanding the north side of the above-ground section of the avenue at the Savska Street intersection, allowing two-way traffic there. Mayor Tomislav Tomašević said the temporary expansion should be finished by the end of the week.

Tomašević said the measure will help but cannot compensate for the closed underpass, which is why demolishing the building quickly is in the city’s interest.