The renovation of the former cinema, designed by the great Zlatko Neumann in the 1950s and renovated according to the Arx Studio project, was officially completed on Wednesday, May 12th, by obtaining a use permit. The grand opening of the new venue, House of Arts Arsen, is scheduled for June 2nd.
The former cinema is in collective memory of many generations of Šibenik citizens. The renovation brought new life into it under the name of Arsen Dedić, a Croatian artistic genius from Šibenik. At the completion of the works, on Thursday, May 13th, the House of Arts Arsen was visited by representatives of the owners and investors of the City of Šibenik, led by Mayor Željko Burić and Deputy Mayor Danijel Mileta, the team of the Fortress of Culture Šibenik, which will manage the venue and the architect and chief designer of the renovation, Damir Lasinović.
- It is difficult for me to hide the emotions in this place that I, as well as generations of my fellow citizens, have fond memories of. Once a neglected space, the House of Arts Arsen is today equipped by all modern standards and proudly bears the name of our great artist. I am convinced that it will become a place of socializing, creating and enjoying all kinds of art, which will be embraced by all the people of Šibenik and visitors to our city. We are responsible for our cultural heritage and are aware that there is much more content to value. It is an ongoing process that creates new possibilities for its presentation to the Croatian, European and world public and medium of city's development - said Mayor Željko Burić.
UNIQUE VENUE IN CROATIA
During renovation, the space was divided into two parts: the entrance hall with a caffé bar and a cloakroom and the hall space, while the upper floor is intended for the performers and technicians and is easily accessible for all their needs thanks to the elevator. The hall is equipped according to high production standards - lighting and audio equipment. Special emphasis should be placed on the air stage, which allows quick and easy transformation of the space, which makes this venue unique in Croatia.
- The renovation was above all complicated. It consisted of six phases, starting with the statics repair of a completely worn out building. When designing the interior, we thought long-term and about multifunctionality of each part of the hall. Only top materials and equipment was used, so in the end we got a spectactular result. The thing that makes me especially happy is the noir decoration theme dominated by dark color broken by golden details that ultimately reflects Arsen's style - said the renovation designer Damir Lasinović.
OPENING CEREMONY - JUNE 2ND
From June 2nd, Šibenik will have new city stage for music and stage events, cinema screenings, plays, exhibitions.
- Everything will be ready for the opening on June 2nd, when Gabi and Matija Dedić will be with us. They, along with guest Marko Ramljak, will be the first to perform at the House of Arts Arsen the next day. The next few days will be dedicated to Arsen's artistic work. We will show some successful films that Arsen wrote music for. In the coming days, a complete programme will be announced - concluded Gorana Barišić Bačelić, director of the Šibenik Fortress of Culture.
The venue renovation began in 2013 and was financed by the City of Šibenik, Ministry of Culture and Media and Fortress of Culture in the last phase of renovation. The total amount of renovation rose up to almost 16 million HRK.
