RENOVATION OF THE PALACE OF THE SUGAR REFINERY IN RIJEKA The Palace of the Sugar Refinery in Rijeka is one of Croatia’s most beautiful baroque palaces. It was built in 1752 as an administrative building for the sugar refinery. After the fire broke out in 1785, it was renovated and equipped with recognizable baroque interiors with frescoes and stucco and thus protected as a cultural heritage in 1970. As part of the project “Rijeka 2020 – European Capital of Culture,” it was renovated and converted into the Museum of the City of Rijeka. The project was co-financed by non-refundable EU funds, and the renovation of the Palace cost about 60 million HRK, which included construction work, technical supervision, and equipment. Construction works on the renovation of the Palace, under the technical supervision of the engineers of the INSTITUT IGH, d.d. started in 2018, and the whole process was preceded by extensive preparatory work. Conservators and art historians took part in the prior works to comply with all the historical standards and forms requirements during the reconstruction, while architects, designers, and engineers made the building safe. A complete reconstruction of the building was performed, including the renovation of the roof, facade, interior of the building, complete installations, and structural elements. In contrast, the building’s exterior and load-bearing structure did not change. Conservation and restoration work implies the renewal of rich decorations, wall and ceiling paintings of mythological and historical motifs and panoramas of imaginary cities. Upon completing the works, the Museum of the City of Rijeka was officially opened on November 13, 2020. The Museum exhibits in 30 rooms on two floors of the Sugar Refinery – the first floor presents the history of the city, and the second the history of the Palace itself. Within the Museum, there are also offices of the curator and other staff and business and service spaces (souvenir shop, information centre, cafe, library…).
