The Meštrović Pavilion ( hr, Meštrovićev paviljon), also known as the Home of Croatian Artists () and colloquially as the Mosque (), is a cultural venue and the official seat of the Croatian Society of Fine Artists (HDLU) located on the

Square of the Victims of Fascism Square of the Victims of Fascism ( hr, Trg žrtava fašizma) is one of the central squares in Zagreb. It was designed in 1923 urban plan on the site of the former fairground that was east of Draškovića street as the new center of then new easter ...

in central

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. Designed by

Ivan Meštrović Ivan Meštrović (; 15 August 1883 – 16 January 1962) was a Croatian sculptor, architect, and writer. He was the most prominent modern Croatian sculptor and a leading artistic personality in contemporary Zagreb. He studied at Pavle Bilinić's ...

and built in 1938, it has served several functions in its lifetime. An art gallery before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, it was converted into a mosque under the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...

and was subsequently transformed into the Museum of the Revolution in post-

war War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

. In 1990, it was given back to the Croatian Association of Artists. After extensive renovation, it has served as a space for exhibitions and events since 2006.

History

Conception

In the early 1930s, the Croatian Art Society Josip Juraj Strossmayer was seeking a new exhibition space. At that time, sculptor

, then the president of Art Society Strossmayer, was given the task to create a sculpture in honor of King Peter I for the Square of King Peter (''Trg kralja Petra'') in Zagreb. Recognizing an opportunity to combine these two needs, Meštrović suggested that instead of a single sculpture, an entire building be erected on the square. After some negotiation, Meštrović’s proposal was accepted and an endowment for the construction of the House of Fine Arts of King Petar the Great Emancipator was established in 1933.

Original construction and layout

Meštrović designed the preliminary concept for the building in 1933. Architects Ladislav Horvat and Harold Bilinić, who frequently collaborated with Meštrović, drew up detailed plans based on Meštrović’s conceptual design. The resulting building was one of the first round exhibition halls in the region. The interior was designed to accommodate three categories of

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

: sculpture, painting, and photography/works on paper. The main entrance of the pavilion opens into a vestibule flanked on either side by staircases. Directly ahead is the central exhibition hall, a cylindrical space designed for exhibiting sculpture. Above the entrance to this space is a relief of King Petar I by Ivan Meštrović. The staircases lead to a circular exhibition hall. A smaller, concentric exhibition hall opens into the cylindrical space and offers views of the gallery below. The dome of the pavilion, planned by architect Zvonimir Kavurić, is composed of round glass tiles 57 mm (2.24 in) thick and 125 mm (4.92 in) in diameter, set into a concrete shell with a thickness of 57 mm (2.24 in), allowing natural light to fill the exhibition halls. The Arts Hall opened on December 1, 1938 with ''A Half Century of Croatian Art'', a major

retrospective exhibition A retrospective (from Latin ''retrospectare'', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in medicine, software development, popu ...

Mosque

The pavilion functioned as an

art gallery An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The lon ...

for only three years before it was turned into a mosque in 1941, at the beginning of

, as a gesture of the

towards Bosnian and

Croatian Muslims Croatia is a predominantly Christian country, with Islam being a minority faith. It is followed by 1.3% of the country's population according to the 2021 census. Islam was first introduced to Croatia by the Ottoman Empire during the Hundred Yea ...

. Architect Zvonimir Požgaj headed the project for adapting the interior of the pavilion to better suit the functions of a mosque, and

Stjepan Planić Stjepan Planić (27 December 1900 – 26 December 1980) was a Croatian architect. His style can be described as a synthesis of functionalist and organic architecture. Biography From 1920 to 1922 he worked for the architect Rudolf Lubinsky and, ...

designed the exterior of the mosque. Požgaj significantly altered the interior of the pavilion, introducing a new ceiling of iron and concrete underneath the original ceiling to solve the problem of temperature and acoustics. According to Planić's plans, three minarets measuring 45 m (147.6 ft) in height were placed around the pavilion, but the exterior of the building was not altered. Planić also added a fountain flanked by benches in front of the building’s main entrance. The interior of the mosque was decorated with stucco patterns based on early Croatian ribbon motifs created by the sculptors Botuhinski, Brill, Ivanković, Jean, Loboda, Lozica, Matijević, Papić, Penić, Perić, Radauš, Štigler, and Turkalj. The mosque was inaugurated on 18 July 1944 and functioned until 1945. In 1949, the minarets were demolished and the interior decor was removed to make way for the new Museum of the Revolution.

The Museum of the Revolution

Architect

Vjenceslav Richter Vjenceslav Richter (; 8 April 1917 – 2 December 2002) was a Croatian architect. He was also known for his work in the fields of urbanism, sculpture, graphic arts, painting and stage design. Career In 1949, Richter graduated at the Department o ...

headed the project to design the Museum of the Revolution, which was to display documents pertaining to

Partisan Partisan may refer to: Military * Partisan (weapon), a pole weapon * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line Films * ''Partisan'' (film), a 2015 Australian film * ''Hell River'', a 1974 Yugoslavian film also know ...

battles during World War II. Richter added an additional floor and new staircases to the interior space and constructed new walls to hide its circular form. All of Richter’s additions were designed to attach to the original structure, so that they could be removed without harming the building’s interior. The Museum of the Revolution officially opened on April 15, 1955.

Restoration and renovation

By the mid-1980s, discussions about the function of the pavilion had resumed, and in 1988, the curators of the Museum of the Revolution invited architects Ivan Crnković and Dubravka Kisić to draw up a study on the feasibility of restoring the pavilion to its original form. In May 1990, the Croatian Association of Artists (HDLU), headed by Ante Rašić, organized the exhibition ''Dokumenti-Argumenti'' to present the history of the building. In 1993, the City Council of Zagreb granted permission to the Croatian Association of Artists to move their seat back to the pavilion. Renovation of the pavilion began in 2001 according to the plans of architect Andrija Mutnjaković. The first phase of construction included the removal of all non-original layers and structures and was completed in 2003. In 2006, parts of the cellar and ground floor were renovated following the plans of architect Branko Silađin.

The Meštrović Pavilion today

The pavilion presently serves as the official seat of the Croatian Association of Artists (HDLU), a union of professional artists established in 1868. The aims of the association are to support and encourage contemporary visual expression, to improve and protect the freedom of visual expression, and to influence legislation regulating

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts al ...

production and the

social rights Economic, social and cultural rights, (ESCR) are socio-economic human rights, such as the right to education, right to housing, right to an adequate standard of living, right to health, victims' rights and the right to science and culture. Econo ...

of artists. Additionally, HDLU organizes over 40 exhibitions and events annually, held in the pavilion’s three exhibition spaces: the Ring Gallery, the Barrel Gallery, and the Extended Media (PM) Gallery. A fourth exhibition space, Karas Gallery, is located on Praška Street near

Ban Jelačić Square Ban Jelačić Square (; hr, Trg bana Jelačića) is the central square of the city of Zagreb, Croatia, named after Ban Josip Jelačić. The official name is Trg bana Jelačića. The square is colloquially called ''Jelačić plac''. It is locat ...

. The pavilion is also one of the founding members of The 360° Project, an international network of round arts venues in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Croatia to the World Exhibition

In February 2021, the HDLU, in collaboration with

Večernji list ''Večernji list'' (also known as ''Večernjak''; ) is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Zagreb. History and profile ''Večernji list'' was started in Zagreb in 1959. Its ancestor ''Večernji vjesnik'' ("Evening Courier") appeared for the ...

and the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute o ...

, compiled a list of the 38 Croatians (ethnically Croat or connected to Croatia) who gave most to the world, influencing global history. They organized an exhibition held at the Meštrović Pavilion, entitled "Croatia to the World" (''Hrvatska svijetu''), including over a thousand items connected to the thirty-eight masterminds. The first twelve names were chosen in 2019, but the list was then extended to 38 greats by February 2021. The 38 great Croatians in the list are:

Ivo Andrić Ivo Andrić ( sr-Cyrl, Иво Андрић, ; born Ivan Andrić; 9 October 1892 – 13 March 1975) was a Yugoslav novelist, poet and short story writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1961. His writings dealt mainly with life in ...

Giorgio Baglivi Giorgio Baglivi ( la, Georgius Baglivus; hr, italic=yes, Gjuro Baglivi; September 8, 1668 – June 15, 1707), born and sometimes anglicized as was a Croatian-Italian physician and scientist. He made important contributions to clinica ...

Josip Belušić Josip Belušić (March 12, 1847 - January 8, 1905) was a Croatian people, Croatian inventor and professor of physics and mathematics. He was born in the small settlement of Županići, in the region of Labin, Istria, and schooled in Pazin and Kope ...

Roger Joseph Boscovich Roger Joseph Boscovich ( hr, Ruđer Josip Bošković; ; it, Ruggiero Giuseppe Boscovich; la, Rogerius (Iosephus) Boscovicius; sr, Руђер Јосип Бошковић; 18 May 1711 – 13 February 1787) was a physicist, astronomer, ...

Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić (; 18 April 1874 – 21 September 1938) was a Croatian writer. Within her native land, as well as internationally, she has been praised as the best Croatian writer for children. Early life She was born on 18 April 1874 i ...

Ivan Česmički Janus Pannonius ( la, Ioannes Pannonius, hr, Ivan Česmički, hu, Csezmiczei János or ; 29 August 1434 – 27 March 1472) was a Croatian- Hungarian Latinist, poet, diplomat and Bishop of Pécs. He was the most significant poet of the R ...

Marin Getaldić Marino Ghetaldi ( lat, Marinus Ghetaldus; hr, Marin Getaldić; 2 October 1568 – 11 April 1626) was a Ragusan scientist. A mathematician and physicist who studied in Italy, England and Belgium, his best results are mainly in physics, especially ...

Franjo Hanaman Franjo Hanaman (June 30, 1878 – January 23, 1941) was a Croatian inventor, engineer, and chemist, who gained world recognition for inventing the world's first applied electric light-bulb with a metal filament (tungsten) with his assistant Alex ...

Jerome Jerome (; la, Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος; – 30 September 420), also known as Jerome of Stridon, was a Christian presbyter, priest, Confessor of the Faith, confessor, th ...

, Marcel Kiepach,

Julije Klović Giorgio Giulio Clovio or Juraj Julije Klović (1498 – 5 January 1578) was an illuminator, miniaturist, and painter born in the Kingdom of Croatia, who was mostly active in Renaissance Italy. He is considered the greatest illuminator of the I ...

, Slavko Kopač,

Benedikt Kotruljević Benedetto Cotrugli ( hr, Benedikt "Beno" Kotruljević; 1416–1469) was a Ragusan merchant, economist, scientist, diplomat and humanist. Life Cotrugli was born in the city of Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik), part of the Republic of Ragusa. As a dip ...

, Zinka Kunc-Milanov, Antun Lučić,

Giovanni Luppis Giovanni (Ivan) Biagio Luppis Freiherr von Rammer (27 August 1813 – 11 January 1875), sometimes also known by the Croatian name of Vukić, was an officer of the Austro-Hungarian Navy who headed a commission to develop the first prototypes o ...

Dora Maar Henriette Theodora Markovitch (22 November 1907 – 16 July 1997), known as Dora Maar, was a French photographer, painter, and poet. A romantic partner of Pablo Picasso, Maar was depicted in a number of Picasso's paintings, including his ''Portr ...

Marko Marulić Marko Marulić Splićanin (), in Latin Marcus Marulus Spalatensis (18 August 1450 – 5 January 1524), was a Croatian poet, lawyer, judge, and Renaissance humanist who coined the term "psychology". He is the national poet of Croatia. According to ...

Andrija Mohorovičić Andrija Mohorovičić (23 January 1857 – 18 December 1936) was a Croatian geophysicist. He is best known for the eponymous Mohorovičić discontinuity and is considered one of the founders of modern seismology. Early years Mohorovičić wa ...

Franciscus Patricius Franciscus Patricius ( Croatian: ''Franjo Petriš'' or ''Frane Petrić'', Italian: ''Francesco Patrizi''; 25 April 1529 – 6 February 1597) was a philosopher and scientist from the Republic of Venice, originating from Cres. He was known as ...

Slavoljub Eduard Penkala Slavoljub Eduard Penkala (; 20 April 1871 – 5 February 1922) was a Croatian engineer and inventor of Dutch-Polish descent. Biography Eduard Penkala was born in Liptószentmiklós (now Liptovský Mikuláš), then part of Austria-Hungary, to F ...

Marco Polo Marco Polo (, , ; 8 January 1324) was a Venetian merchant, explorer and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295. His travels are recorded in ''The Travels of Marco Polo'' (also known as ''Book of the Marv ...

Herman Potočnik Herman Potočnik (pseudonym Hermann Noordung; 22 December 1892 – 27 August 1929) was an ethnically Slovenian Austro-Hungarian Army officer, electrical engineer and astronautics theorist. He is regarded as a pioneer and visionary of modern space f ...

Vladimir Prelog Vladimir Prelog (23 July 1906 – 7 January 1998) was a Croatian-Swiss organic chemist who received the 1975 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his research into the stereochemistry of organic molecules and reactions. Prelog was born and grew up in ...

Mario Puratić Mario Puratić (1904 - 1993) (usually spelled Puretic, and sometimes Puretich, in English) was an Austro-Hungarian Empire-born American inventor who made major advances in fishing technology, such as the Puretic power block. Puratić was born in 1 ...

, Lavoslav Ružan,

Andrea Schiavone Andrea Meldolla ( hr, Andrija Medulić), also known as Andrea Schiavone or Andrea Lo Schiavone (c. 1510/15–1563) was an Italian Renaissance painter and etcher, born in present-day Croatia, active mainly in the city of Venice. His style com ...

, David Schwarz,

Pope Sixtus V Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto V; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order ...

Mia Slavenska Mia Slavenska, née Čorak (20 February 1916 in Brod-na-Sava, now Croatia, then Austria-Hungary – 5 October 2002 in Los Angeles, United States) was a Croatian-American soloist of the Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo in 1938–1952 and 1954–1955 ...

Andrija Štampar Andrija Štampar (1 September 1888 – 26 June 1958) was a distinguished scholar in the field of social medicine from Croatia. Education Štampar was born 1 September 1888 in Brodski Drenovac (part of Pleternica), at the time part of the Aust ...

Rudolf Steiner Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (27 or 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian occultist, social reformer, architect, esotericist, and claimed clairvoyant. Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century as a ...

Nikola Tesla Nikola Tesla ( ; ,"Tesla"
''

Milka Trnina Milka Ternina (born Katarina Milka Trnina, pronounced ; 19 December 1863 – 18 May 1941) was a Croatian dramatic soprano who enjoyed a high reputation in major American and European opera houses. Praised by audiences and music critics alike f ...

Faust Vrančić Fausto Veranzio ( la, Faustus Verantius; hr, Faust Vrančić; Hungarian language, Hungarian and Latin regional pronunciation, Vernacular Latin: ''Verancsics Faustus'';Andrew L. SimonMade in Hungary: Hungarian contributions to universal cultur ...

Ivan Vučetić Juan Vucetich Kovacevich (born Ivan Vučetić; 20 July 1858 – 25 January 1925) was a Croatian-Argentine anthropologist and police official who pioneered the use of dactyloscopy (fingerprint identification). Biography Vucetich was born ...

, and

Nikola IV Zrinski Nikola IV Zrinski or Miklós IV Zrínyi ( hu, Zrínyi Miklós, ; 1507/1508 – 7 September 1566), also commonly known as Nikola Šubić Zrinski (), was a Croatian nobleman and general, Ban of Croatia from 1542 until 1556, royal master of the tr ...

Notes

Sources

External links

The 360° Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mesztroviczz Pavilion Art museums and galleries in Zagreb Donji grad, Zagreb Buildings and structures completed in 1938 Art museums established in 1938 1938 establishments in Croatia Mosques completed in 1941 1941 establishments in Croatia Former mosques Former religious buildings and structures in Croatia Islam in Croatia Religious buildings and structures in Zagreb Museums established in 1949 1949 establishments in Croatia History of Zagreb Art museums established in 1990 1990 establishments in Croatia Modernist architecture in Croatia Rotundas in Europe Ivan Meštrović