Another important recognition has arrived for the Jakšić family. At this year’s “Tripun Bokanić” Awards, Dražen Jakšić received the first prize for the most successful design of a functional object, for the design and execution of the tomb of the legendary football coach Miroslav Ćiro Blažević.
The “Tripun Bokanić” Award, presented by Oris House of Architecture and the Stonemasonry School in Pučišća, is one of the most important recognitions in the field of contemporary stone design. Named after the Renaissance builder and stonemason Tripun Bokanić, the award promotes innovative approaches to stone and encourages the connection between traditional stonemasonry and modern architectural and design thinking. This very approach has been recognised in the work of Dražen Jakšić.
The tomb of the legendary coach Miroslav Ćiro Blažević, one of the most charismatic and successful football coaches in Croatian history, is designed as a calm and dignified stone composition. Blažević is remembered as the national team coach who led the Croatian football team to a historic bronze medal at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, leaving a strong mark on sport and society with his unique character and energy.
The tomb is made of light-coloured stone with a simple and elegant geometry. The composition consists of several carefully shaped stone planes that create a harmonious and contemporary form. On the top surface there is a minimalist inscription “ĆIRO”, whose typography is integrated into a geometric surface composition that represents the layout of a football field. Special emphasis is placed on the letter “O”, coloured in bronze, symbolically recalling the bronze medal that Ćiro won with the Croatian national team.
This work once again confirms Dražen Jakšić’s extensive experience in designing authorial tombs. Each project is approached individually, with the aim of creating a personalised and unique monument that respectfully preserves the memory of the person to whom it is dedicated. His approach combines contemporary design, clean geometry, and the centuries-old tradition of stone craftsmanship for which the Jakšić workshop is known.
Over decades of work, the Jakšić workshop has created numerous monuments and authorial tombs throughout Croatia and abroad. This award confirms the continuity of quality and the enduring dedication to working with stone — a material that preserves memories and transforms them into lasting forms.