EVE Music Hall: An investment that changes the investment climate and tourist perception of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem

In the place where only a year ago there was a Slavonian wasteland, today a project is being built that will certainly change the cultural, investment and tourist perception of eastern Croatia.

EVE Music Hall, the largest private investment in culture in the history of Croatia, will open its doors on March 11, 2027. The project by investor Marko Pipunić is being developed as part of the wider business and tourism ecosystem of the Žito Group, and the architectural solution is the world-famous studio BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group, one of the most respected architectural offices today.

The new concert and congress hall will be called EVE, and the name was chosen after an identity development process led by London-based agency North Design. Among more than a hundred proposals considered, a name was chosen that symbolizes the place where music begins. The name EVE symbolizes the beginning, the moment just before the first note, the first applause and the first encounter with a new experience. 

The project envisages a large concert hall with 1.021 seats and capacity up to 2.800 visitors in concert mode. It will be accompanied by a smaller multi-purpose hall with 308 seats for concerts, congresses and conferences. The complex will also include exhibition spaces, facilities for artists, a music museum, outdoor event spaces, and a restaurant and a lookout at the top of the building with a view of the Slavonian plain.

The program concept is conceived much broader than a classic concert hall. In addition to symphonic music, the space will be adapted for pop and rock concerts, traditional programs, dance and theater performances, congresses, conferences and various cultural events. Also, an equally important role will be played by the outdoor space designed for large open-air productions that will enable events that rarely have the appropriate infrastructure in Croatia today.

Special attention is paid to the quality of the experience and acoustics. 

EVE will use an advanced active acoustic system that allows the space to be adapted to different musical formats, from a cappella performances and chamber music to symphony orchestras, choirs, jazz, rock and large concert productions. By combining adaptable architectural elements and sophisticated electronic systems, the space will provide optimal conditions for different types of performances, creating a top-notch experience for both the audience and the performers. The goal is not only to provide top-notch sound, but to create one of the best concert experiences in Europe.

But the story of EVE Music Hall goes far beyond the construction of the concert hall itself.

The desire for Slavonia to be on the world map of architecture and music

Project EVE, according to investors Marko Pipunić, was born from the desire to mark the time and space in which he lives. Not through a project that separates, but through a space that brings people together, spreads comfort, emotion and togetherness. Otherwise, it is the largest private investment in culture, and a domestic investor at that. 

„ŽI wanted to leave a mark on the time and space I live in. Not in a way that divides people, but in a way that brings them together. In my understanding, music and culture are universal languages ​​that have no borders.. "

Pipunić pointed out that the goal was not to build just another facility, but to create a project that would place Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem on the world map of architecture and music.

"I wanted to create something that would be on the world map of architecture and on the world map of music. I believe that we in Croatia and Slavonia have the knowledge, creativity and ability to create great things, but we often set limits for ourselves."

That is precisely why, he adds, he decided to hire an architect who had already proven his worth on a global scale. The collaboration with Bjarke Ingels and the BIG studio came about almost spontaneously, but a key moment of understanding between the investor and the architect occurred very quickly.

"From the first meeting, there was a click. I think it wasn't just what I said that mattered, but what he read between the lines - from the energy, the look, and the way I tried to explain my idea.""

According to Pipunić, good projects are created when the investor's ambition and the architect's understanding come together. At that moment, an idea stops being just a wish and begins to turn into reality.

"When the energy of investors and the understanding of architects come together, good projects are created. I am convinced that we have managed to achieve exactly that here.”

The project has a special symbolism precisely because of the space in which it is created. Pipunić emphasizes that Slavonia is defined by the land - the land that nourishes, shapes and gives life. That is why he wanted the architecture itself to symbolize growth from the land and the strength of the space from which the project comes.

"We live in Slavonia, and the land is what nourishes, shapes and defines us. It provides wheat, grain, food and life. I wanted this object to symbolize precisely that energy of growth that comes from the land and from the people who live and create here."

A year ago, he pointed out, there was a field on the site of today's construction site. Today, it is already clear how the idea is becoming a reality. The opening of the EVE hall has been announced for 11. March 2027. years.

Bjarke Ingels: “Landmark in the middle of the Slavonian fields”

The EVE project was born from a seemingly simple, but ambitious idea: to create a cultural destination that would be important not only for Slavonia or Croatia, but for the entire region and beyond.

The project's chief architect pointed out that upon his first arrival in Slavonia, he was surprised by the similarity of the landscape to his native Denmark. Instead of the expected Croatian coast, he was greeted by a plain, endless fields, and a distinctly horizontal landscape. It was this horizontality that became the starting point for the architectural idea.

"We imagined a horizon that suddenly rises in two volumes, two spaces dedicated to music and culture. The idea was to create a kind of landmark in the open landscape, a place that would be seen from afar and that would become a new gathering point."

The complex consists of a large concert hall, a smaller multi-purpose hall for concerts, congresses and conferences, and additional spaces for exhibitions, artists, VIP guests and visitors. Between the two main volumes is a central entrance area that invites visitors to explore the building.

Special emphasis is placed on the connection of architecture with the landscape. The facade will be clad in Croatian limestone, which will blend naturally into the environment throughout the seasons. The building does not have a classic front and back, but is conceived as an open and accessible space from every direction.

"We wanted the building to feel inviting no matter where you approach it from. Architecture should not create barriers but invite people to come in, explore the space and become part of it.". "

One of the most recognizable elements of the project will be a roof garden and rooftop space overlooking the Slavonian plain. Photovoltaic panels will be installed on the roof, while the area around the hall will be transformed into a park that will allow for the organization of large outdoor events.

The interior is designed as a flexible space that can be adapted to different types of events: from symphony concerts and rock performances to congresses, exhibitions and business events. The lobby will also be able to host large exhibition displays, while the concert halls will be acoustically adapted to different musical formats.

The architect emphasizes that the project has not only a functional but also a symbolic dimension.

"If we had to describe our approach in one sentence, we would call it utopian pragmatism. Utopia is the world we imagine, and pragmatism is everyday reality. Architecture gives us the opportunity to turn part of that imagined world into reality. "

That's why he sees EVE not just as a new concert hall, but as a cultural landmark in the middle of the Slavonian fields.

"It is difficult to imagine a better example of utopian pragmatism than the idea of ​​creating a musical and cultural landmark in the middle of the Slavonian plain that will attract people from Croatia, the region, and the world."

More than a concert hall

In terms of tourism and development, EVE represents part of a much broader picture.

Because when someone builds a hotel, health facilities, congress facilities and a concert hall of world-class architecture in Čepin, they are no longer investing only in existing demand. They are investing in creating new reasons to come.

That is why EVE is not just a new concert hall. It represents an investment, architectural and tourist "statement" that sends the message that global-level projects can be built outside of major metropolises and that the future of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem does not have to be determined by geography, but by ambition.

That's why projects like this change the perception of a destination.

Because destinations do not build their identity through the number of beds, but through content, emotions and experiences that no one else has. It is also important to mention that in addition to the already open Hotel Materra, which has 61 accommodation units, a new four-star hotel with around 130 rooms is being built in the immediate vicinity of EVE Music Hall.

In that sense, EVE is not just a concert hall. EVE is a market signal. 

A signal that global-level projects can be built in eastern Croatia, a signal that top-notch architecture, culture and tourism do not belong only to large metropolises. And perhaps most importantly, a signal that the future of Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem does not depend on what happens elsewhere, but on what reasons we create for coming here ourselves.

Photo: hrturizam / visualization renders: BIG