The ceremony marking the completion of the comprehensive renovation was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, ministers Branko Bačić, Radovan Fuchs and Damir Habijan, and the Rector of the University of Zagreb Stjepan Lakušić.
Zagreb, 18 March 2025 – The fully renovated building of the Faculty of Law of the University of Zagreb at 3, Trg Republike Hrvatske, which suffered extensive damage in the devastating Zagreb earthquake in 2020, has been officially opened. It is a protected cultural property, the work of the architect Franjo Klein, notable for its unique neo-Renaissance facade and historical value. The construction cost 6.6 million euros, of the total of 7.9 million euros provided with the help of the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth, the European Union Solidarity Fund, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan under the NextGenerationEU instrument, and the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia, i.e. the Government of the Republic of Croatia.
The comprehensive renovation work began in July 2023. After being selected in a public tender, the renovation project was carried out by MDK GRAĐEVINAR d.o.o. as the main contractor, while Jelena Mavrić Varga from TERRACOTTA was in charge of the restoration. The main designer for the preparation of the project and technical documentation was STUDIO KUŠAN, and the main supervising engineer was Igor Hranilović from INFO-G.
The ceremony marking the completion of the renovation of the Faculty of Law building was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia Andrej Plenković, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Property Branko Bačić, Minister of Science, Education and Youth Prof. Radovan Fuchs, Minister of Administration, Justice and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan, Rector of the University of Zagreb, Prof. Stjepan Lakušić, Dean of the Faculty of Law in Zagreb, Prof. Ivan Koprić and many others without whom the renovation process would not have been possible.
The University of Zagreb Rectorate building at 14, Trg Republike Hrvatske, which was also used by the Faculty of Law, is still not functional, but the reconstruction process is expected to begin soon, Rector Lakušić said at the beginning of the opening ceremony.
“The opening of bids for the Rectorate building was completed on Friday. The bids are now being evaluated. I hope that we will find an acceptable solution so that we can also initiate the process of comprehensive renovation for the main building in this part of the city related to the University of Zagreb. It is the most precious of the university buildings, but also the most demanding in terms of renovation, and is probably waiting for a special moment for the comprehensive renovation works to begin,” Rector Lakušić pointed out.
“The most difficult part of the entire renovation project was the roof, the basement and the restoration work. In addition to that, the building was structurally strengthened, the facades were renovated, a large part of the installations were replaced, a new elevator was installed, leading from the basement to the attic, and a small green area in the front has been laid out, which further highlights its beauty. We are grateful to the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Science, Education and Youth for the significant non-refundable financial assistance, owing to which the faculty now disposes of structurally renovated, safe and high-quality spaces for teaching, scientific research and professional work,” said Dean Koprić.
“I believe that we are all filled with pride upon the sight of this magnificent historic building, which serves as the temporary seat of the Faculty of Law. I believe that we will have the opportunity to open the remaining two buildings that are undergoing complete renovation for the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the Faculty of Law, which is being celebrated this year. The renovation of the building at no. 14 of the same square, which everybody associates in some way with the Faculty of Law, and which is also used by the Rectorate, is yet to begin,” said Minister Fuchs.
Minister Bačić said that during this Government term, 13,000 buildings in the Zagreb and Petrinja areas have been renovated.
“During this term, as many as 142 buildings under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science will be renovated, and the total value of the project is mora than 700 million euros, which is a significant amount that will be invested in the renovation of buildings in the education system of the Republic of Croatia. Considering that we will mark the fifth anniversary of the earthquake in a few days, I believe it is appropriate to point out that, at this moment, 1,900 locations are being renovated in this area,” said Bačić.
Prime Minister Plenković also emphasized the value of the funds invested in the post-earthquake reconstruction process.
“Our approach was not only to spend the money we have worked hard to allocate to the reconstruction of Zagreb and Banovina, but also to ensure that the buildings, once renovated, are functional, solid, beautiful and useful for all those who will work in them. That is why this effort may have taken a little longer, but the benefits of such an approach will be manifold over decades to come. Once all the work is done, we will all be very satisfied and proud. It makes us particularly happy to include, after yesterday’s tours of buildings whose renovation was worth 110 million euros, also this building at Trg Republike Hrvatske, rounding off the tour on the eve of the fifth anniversary with the total investment value of 118 million euros, spent on renovations that have been completed,” said the Prime Minister. The event was supported by the arrival of State Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Property Dunja Magaš, Director of the Central Finance and Contracting Agency for EU Programmes and Projects Dragan Jelić, Director of the Directorate for Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science, Education and State Property Hrvoje Meštrić, Director of the University Computing Centre Ivan Marić, and other high-ranking guests, including Vice-Rector Prof. Tomislav Josip Mlinarić, deans and vice-deans of University of Zagreb faculties, prominent members of the Alumni community, and students and employees of the Faculty of Law.
The renovated building is the former palace of the Croatian-Slavonic Economic Society, the work of the leading Zagreb architect of the 1860s and 1870s, Franjo Klein. Generations of lawyers have grown up in the building since 1968. Its richly decorated neo-Renaissance facade, is dominated by the balcony positioned on four stone Doric columns and four female figures dressed in ancient clothing, representing the seasons and work in nature. The figures, originally made of lime sandstone, are assumed to have been created in the workshop of Ljudevit Pierotti.
Next to the three-story palace are two pavilions that originally served as an exhibition space. Due to its architectural and historical value, the building is a protected cultural property of the Republic of Croatia. It currently houses the offices of the administration and faculty services, offices for about forty teachers, a lending library and four lecture halls with a total capacity of 230 seats. The construction of the Heritage Library and Reading Room of the Faculty of Law is planned in the back of the building, where more than 10,000 units of national legal heritage will be stored, making it one of the most important scientific and development infrastructure projects the faculty has ever endeavoured.
It should be mentioned that all interested citizens will be able to visit the newly renovated Faculty building at 3, Trg Republike Hrvatske this Saturday, 22 March, as part of the Open Doors Day from 10 am to 2 pm and learn about the consequences of the earthquake and the progress of the comprehensive renovation.
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Photo by Studio IPIK
