Croatian Natural History Museum
Location: Zagreb, Croatia
Author: Radionica arhitekture + Vanja Ilić
Design team: Fani Frković, Marijana Gradečak, Vanja Ilić, Antonio Jakubek, Tena Knežević, Marin Mišan, Klara Nikšić, Bojan Pepeonik, Tena Petrović, Jelena Prokop, Ana Rako, Goran Rako, Ana Ranogajec Knežević, Josip Sabolić, Ivana Stanić
Designed: 2015
Area: 5.500 m2


Croatian Museum of Natural History is located in the Amadeo Palace on the ramparts of Old Zagreb.
The project increases the area of the permanent exhibition and forms new public spaces but at the same time respects the architecture of the existing building, a protected cultural monument.
The display area is increased by covering the atrium and turning it into an indoor space. In addition to that new underground spaces are planned along the northwestern edge of the building. The basement is to be deepened and the storage rooms moved to a new location. The only visible architectural changes will be in the atrium which will be covered with a glass roof, turning the atrium into a hall. This also increases the exhibition space, because its size allows us to present large exhibits, such as the skeletons of flying dinosaurs, preparations of large birds or fish that will also be observed from the newly introduced bridges.
At the same time, performances of the Amadeo Stage or other events can still be held in the new hall.
On the ground floor we form a space for receiving visitors, demonstration laboratories, workshops for children, museum cafe and a sanitary facilities for visitors.
On the deepened basement floor, we form new exhibition spaces and below the atrium we place a multipurpose hall.
We are also adding a new underground extension northwest of the building which will be covered with a green roof following the incline of the Tuškanac forest slope.
On the floors +1 and +2 we organize the exhibition spaces, while in the attic we place the offices and technical rooms.
We don't hide our intention to turn the HPM project from an "ugly duckling" into a "swan".