Structures of the First Industrial Age in Rijeka, Croatia — from Timber to Iron

The article describes the use of iron in industrial buildings constructed in the first industrial age in Rijeka. Since the middle of the 19th century, the structural use of cast iron in internal skeleton structures in place of timber created opportunities for improved functional design of these multi-storey buildings. The analysis of some buildings indicates a lack of experience in the application of new structural typologies, while in others it indicates experimental and innovative structural solutions which reflected the progress of science, technology and high-quality workmanship in that period.