The European Capital of Culture project also includes major infrastructure interventions in the Benčić complex, where, in addition to the Sugar Refinery Palace, other buildings will be also reconstructed and put into operation.

Refurbishment of the Sugar Refinery Palace

With the reconstruction and renewal of the Sugar Refinery Palace, it became the headquarters of the Rijeka Civic Museum.

The Sugar Refinery Palace has been a protected cultural good since 1970. It was built as the administrative building of the sugar refinery in 1752, at the initiative of the Main Trading Company of Trieste and Rijeka. After the fire in 1785, it was significantly renovated and its interior was furnished with Baroque wall paintings and stucco works. In the 19th century, it served as the administrative building of the Tobacco Factory, and later on, of the “Rikard Benčić” Motor Machines Factory. It represents the most quality baroque palace on the eastern Adriatic coast, the construction of which marked the beginning of the industrial development of Rijeka. The interior of the building is lavishly decorated with stucco works, frescoes and ceramic stoves. Research inside the building and restoration were carried out by the Croatian Restoration Institute. The Sugar Refinery Palace marked the beginning of the industrial development of Rijeka. As a cultural good of exceptional importance for the city of Rijeka, the Sugar Refinery Palace as the Rijeka Civic Museum tells the story of the city – its rich identity and history, while also creating a significant landmark in the development of urban cultural tourism.

The works were financed through the project “Tourist Valorisation of Notable Industrial Heritage Monuments of Rijeka”, for which the City received a grant in the amount of HRK 69 million under the European Fund for Regional Development, within the Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020”.

The new premises of the Rijeka Civic Museum with a permanent display dedicated to the history of Rijeka were inaugurated on 13 November 2020. The author of the permanent display is the designer Nikolina Jelavić Mitrović.

The Benčić complex

The European Capital of Culture project also includes major infrastructure works in the Benčić complex, where, in addition to the Sugar Refinery Palace, other buildings will be also reconstructed and put into operation.

Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art

The first phase of the construction of the new headquarters of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, in the so-called H building has been completed.

The premises for the needs of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art have been refurbished and put into operation as the gallery activity. The basic features of the building were retained and transformed into a new function. Necessary security and technical systems have been introduced that enable modern use and development of museum activities. The total net area within the coverage is 1,550 m.q.

The works were carried out by the company VG5 from Ljubljana, Slovenia, and the building was completed in May 2017. The total value of the investment amounts to HRK 6.8 million, and the funds were allocated from the budget of the City of Rijeka.

Revitalisation of the Benčić complex – Brick and T-buildings

The project titled “The revitalisation of the Benčić complex– Brick and T-buildings” comprises the revitalisation of the former industrial complex “Rikard Benčić” in downtown Rijeka and change of intended use of the buildings within the complex to public, cultural and educational purposes, implemented within the Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020.

The works for the construction of the Children’s House (brick house) and the new library (T building) in the Benčić complex are financed with the funds of the Rijeka Urban Agglomeration. The contract with the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds was signed on 16 July 2018. Rijeka received a grant in the amount of HRK 68.21 million by the EU for the project of the refurbishment of the Children’s Home and the Civic Library. A grant amounting to HRK 68,206,564 under the European Fund for Regional Development was approved for this project through a public call of the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, while the total value of the entire project amounts to HRK 162,123,324.61.

Children’s house

The Children’s House is a cultural institution that offers children, in a way adapted to them, cultural contents from the domain of various cultural institutions in Rijeka. The building was officially opened in 2021.

Rijeka Civic Library

The project includes the reconstruction and furnishing of the T-building that will serve as the Civic Library, i.e. its conversion into a building that serves for public cultural and educational purposes. The applicant and project holder is the City of Rijeka in partnership with the Rijeka Civic Library. The T-building has 4,530 m.q. net/5,826 m.q. gross area. Owing to the reconstruction, the T-building changes its purpose from a former industrial building to a cultural and public building, and becomes the central, architecturally remarkable building of the Rijeka Civic Library, accessible to all citizens and guests. The contract with the contractor, VG5 was signed on 27 August 2019. Works on the reconstruction of the T-building, i.e. the refurbishment of the Civic Library building are underway. The project is implemented within the Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020”. The works should be completed at the beginning of 2023.

Designing of public areas within the Benčić complex with belonging infrastructure

The project includes the designing of the open part of the public areas and solving the necessary infrastructure for the functioning of the buildings within the Benčić complex and the belonging contents – the construction of a new water supply, new storm and sanitary water drainage, electrical installations, mechanical and thermotechnical installations, electrical distribution sewers.

The central area of the ground floor between the buildings will be arranged as an open space in the function of a public square with several islands of greenery, a theme park, and pedestrian paths. An open parking lot with 155 parking spaces will be put in place on part of the ground floor, 12 of which are for disabled people. The works are performed by the Consortium of Bidders GP KRK from Krk and FIDAL from Rijeka.

The value of the works amounts to HRK 50,429,079.83 including VAT, co-financed by the utility company Vodovod i kanalizija from Rijeka in the part of plumbing installation and sanitary drainage.

It is expected that the works relating to the temporary designing of public areas within the Benčić complex would be concluded at the end of 2022.