New space for Rijeka’s culture!

What is being renovated, built and refurbished as part of the Rijeka 2020 – ECoC project?

At the former Rikard Benčić factory on Krešimirova Street in Rijeka, three industrial heritage buildings are being renovated and will be repurposed into cultural buildings that will house: The City Museum of Rijeka, the Rijeka City Library and the Children’s House, the first building of its kind in Croatia, dedicated to the development of creativity in children. The Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art has already moved into the Benčić complex, which was refurbished in the first phase, and will continue its expansion into the remaining areas in the current building.

Renovation at Sugar Refinery Palace Rijeka (by Rijeka City Museum)

The ship Galeb that used to belong to Josip Broz Tito is also being renovated and repurposed into a museum ship and a cultural and tourist attraction in Rijeka. Rijeka has received grants in the amount of almost 140 million HRK from the EU for these renovations, with the buildings and structures being completed and slated to open during 2020 and partly in 2021.

Ship Galeb on the way for renovation (by Tanja Kanazir)

The premises of RiHub on Grohovac Street in Rijeka, as the information centre for the European Capital of Culture and as a place for bringing citizens together, conducting training sessions, working together and developing creativity, has also been refurbished. In 2020, the ECoC press centre for Croatian and foreign reporters will also be relocated there.

RiHub, the information centre for the Rijeka 2020 European Capital of Culture

The aforementioned renovations are being carried out by the City of Rijeka as part of the activities undertaken by its Department of Culture.

Exportdrvo at Delta, a large industrial building that will host a significant portion of the ECoC programme in 2020, is being refurbished in cooperation with the Port Authority.

Exportdrvo hall is located in the centre of Rijeka

The cultural programme of the European Capital of Culture will bring about additional refurbishments as part of the Sweet & Salt flagship, which will alter the parts of Rijeka by the sea (salt) and the Rječina River (sweet). Also, in areas along the coast and in Rijeka itself, renowned and acclaimed international and Croatian artists are creating and installing various permanent art sculptures. Thus the European Capital of Culture programme provides a new cultural tourism route in Kvarner as part of the Lungomare Art flagship.

Rijeka, European Capital of Culture 2020 (by Borko Vukosav)