Revitalisation of the Benčić complex – Brick and T-buildings

Project Title:

Revitalisation of the Benčić complex– Brick and T-buildings Description

The project titled “The revitalization of the complex Benčić – Brick and T-buildings” comprises the revitalisation of the former industrial complex “Rikard Benčić” and change of intended use of the buildings within the complex to public, cultural and educational purposes. The building of the former factory Rikard Benčić called T-building will be reconstructed and equipped as the HQ of the Rijeka Civic Library. The building of the former factory Rikard Benčić called the Brick Building will be reconstructed and equipped as the Children’s House.

The project is implemented within the Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020”, Investment Priority 6e “Activities that improve urban environment, revitalization of cities, renewal and decontamination of former industrial land (including areas which intended use has been changed), reduction in air pollution and promotion of the measure aimed at noise reduction ”, Specific Objective 6e2“ Reconstruction of brownfield sites (former military and industrial areas) within the ITI”.

T – building

Project scope:

The project comprises the reconstruction and equipment of the T-building as the Civic Library, namely change of its intended use in a building intended for public cultural and educational purposes.

The applicant and project promoter is the City of Rijeka in partnership with the Rijeka Civic Library.

Purpose

The T-builiding has a net area of 4,530 sq.m. and a gross area of 5,826 sq. m. Due to the reconstruction, its purpose changes from a former industrial to cultural and public and it becomes a central building, accessible to all citizens and guests and architecturally prominent building of the Rijeka Civic Library, the first in the history of Rijeka that will integrate functions and services of central library departments.

Currently dislocated departments of journalism / science, literature, the Public Reading Room, the Department of Periodicals (with belonging repositories), the Registry Office, General Affairs, Procurement and Processing Services, and the Library Development Service for Public Relations and Programmes will find their place in the building.

Investment value: 12,182,693.00 €

EU grant: 55.5%

Project duration: 16 July 2018 – 31 December 2023

Financed under:

Structural Funds – European Regional Development Fund – Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion” as well as the own contribution of applicants and project partners.

The project of reconstruction and revitalization of the former industrial complex Rikard Benčić is one of the cultural priorities of the City of Rijeka as the European Capital of Culture 2020 and one of the largest cultural infrastructural projects in the Republic of Croatia

The agreement with the Ministry of Regional Development and EU funds on the allocation of an EU grant in the amount of HRK 68.21 million for the project of the refurbishment of the Civic Library and the Children’s House was signed on 16 July 2018.

The agreement for the reconstruction of the so called “T-building“ within the former industrial complex Rikard Benčić that will become the HQ of the Rijeka Civic Library was signed on 27 August 2019. The contractor is a company from Ljubljana VG5. The works were initiated towards the end of September 2019.

Brick Building – Children’s House

Project Title:

Brick Building – Children’s House

The brick building has a net area of 1,948 sq.m and a gross area of 2,500 sq.m. and will be transformed into the Children’s House. The building is conceived as a kind of lobby of institutions and organizations in culture planned within the cultural complex Benčić: the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the Rijeka Civic Library, the Rijeka Civic Museum, the City Puppet Theatre and the Art Cinema, but also as a symbolic lobby of the world of culture, which contents and services are aimed primarily at children.

The applicant and project promoter is the City of Rijeka with partner institutions.

Project Goal

Protection, restoration and transformation of industrial heritage in the future cultural quarter Benčić, will enable the creation of new spatial capacities for culture and education of all citizens, especially young people, increase the number of visitors to educational, cultural and entertainment facilities and increase the number of young people who create and receive cultural events. The project appeals to the development of knowledge and skills of the population, especially young people, and to the encouragement of innovative business ideas in culture and related activities.

Purpose of the building

The end users of this project are primarily children and young people of preschool and school age from the area of Rijeka and its agglomeration. Activities in the new infrastructure include education, workshops, quality organisation of free time, rooms full of various contents, all with the aim of developing creativity, social skills and acquiring knowledge in the field of literature, fine arts, film, media and music. Owing to this project, local population gets free and open access to information for various purposes (leisure, work, schooling, personal development), an inspiring space for finding inspiration, exchanging ideas and developing projects, products, etc.

Co-financed under:

Structural Funds – European Regional Development Fund – Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion” as well as the own contribution of applicants and project partners.

Project duration: 16 July 2018 – 16 April 2022

Co-financed by the EU: 55%

Current situation

The works are performed by the company ING-GRAD from Zagreb.

The Children’s House forms part of the project Rijeka 2020 – European capital of culture and it will be opened during 2020.