UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB ACADEMY OF MUSIC
After many decades of being subtenant at many locations, in 2015, the Music Academy of the University of Zagreb finally settled in its own building in the city centre . The new Blagoje Bersa concert hall, situated in the basement, named after the Croatian composer and one of the Academy’s first teachers merited for the advancement of the music profession in Croatia, immediately became a lively concert venue. The Academy features a recording studio and as well as three smaller concert halls, a modernly equipped library, classrooms and practice areas.
The architect Milan Šosterič is the author of the new building project (which replaced the old, unpopular Ferimport building), already famous for its curved roof edge and black risalit at the entrance. According to Mr. Šosterič, the most famous elements of the project, the leaning needle ant the ball in front of the entrance, represent a dream. In one of his media statements he says that the leaning needle is a vertical line that jumped out of a house he has seen in his dreams and being askew started to quiver.
“… I fixed this needle to the ground widening its base and narrowing its top. It has become a part of the art form (…) The whole presentation beaming with contrasts through colours and forms, asked for the introduction of a female symbol to juxtapose it with the male symbol. The ball acts as the female symbol and together with the needle it creates a balance, achieved equally by putting together all contrasts.”