May 29, 2021 -  The Gajo Bulat Square renovation in front of the HNK Split is finally complete. The new space will officially open tonight with a concert and fireworks show!

The evening before the Statehood Day and the Day of Croatian Defenders of Split, on Saturday, May 29, starting at 8 pm on the newly renovated Gajo Bulat Square, the Choir, Orchestra and Soloists of the Opera and Drama Actors of the Croatian National Theater Split will perform a gala concert as a gift to all Split citizens.

Under the direction of maestro Ivo Lipanović, tenor Božo Jurić Pešić, soprano Antonija Teskera, and bass Božo Župić will perform as soloists. The program includes arias by Split composers Josip Hatze, Ivo Tijardović, and Jakov Gotovac, as well as an aria "In battle, in battle" from the opera Nikola Šubić Zrinjski by Ivan Zajc.

Considering it is the 500th anniversary of the first edition of the epic "Judith" by Marko Marulić, actress Katarina Romac will perform a monologue by Judith, and Trpimir Jurkić will give a solemn speech given by Mayor Gajo Bulat when opening the new theater building on May 6, 1893.

After the program, fireworks will follow in front of the HNK Split building at around 9 pm, from Bedema Priuli.

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February 8, 2021 - The transformation of Gajo Bulat Square began in Split last week, which should be completed by May this year. 

By removing the asphalt layer, the transformation of Gajo Bulat Square, the famous mayor of Split, and the great Croatian national revival from the end of the 19th century, began last week. The beginning of the works was attended by the Mayor of Split, Andro Krstulović Opara, together with associates and contractors, designers, and authors of the monument, which will soon be located on the future square.

"Gajo Bulat Square has a prominent historical, urban, and cultural significance in the city of Split. We will restore the aesthetic and urban identity to this valuable urban space, which it has lost in the past decades. With the figure of Gajo Filomen Bulat, we offer the honor and lasting memory of the leader of the populist movement of the Croatization of the Split municipality. With the future fountain, we emphasize the water which was of crucial importance in this part of the city and which, in fact, as good water, gave the name to this part of Split - Dobri. The key thing is that we return the squares and parks to the people of Split," said Krstulović Opara.

The works envisage the renovation of the staircase in front of the HNK building, erecting a monument to Gajo Bulat, then arranging the associated area with a monument to former sources of drinking water, and arranging the parks with trees and lush shrubs. It is important to note that the floor and public area around the monument to Gajo Bulat will be paved with stone slabs. The entire space of Gajo Bulat Square, after its renovation, can also serve as an outdoor, open stage of the Split Theater. The works are worth 3.7 million kuna, and the renovation is expected to be completed in early May.

The renovation of the Square was preceded by the renovation of the facade on the Croatian National Theater building, worth 500 thousand kuna. The foyer inside the building was also renovated, and an elevator for people with disabilities was installed last year. In May last year, the asphalt around the Square was repaired, and the Priuli rampart is currently undergoing conservation and restoration. By May this year, when Gajo Bulat Square's renovation is complete, this part of the city will take on a completely new look, says the City of Split. 

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November 26, 2020 - The City has announced that the famous area in front of HNK Split, also known as Gajo Bulat Square, will be transformed. 

Preparations for the tender announcement to choose the contractor for the transformation of Gajo Bulat Square have begun! 

At the initiative of Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara, an amendment to the project documentation based on the first-prize winning competition work from 2016, authored by academic sculptors Đani Martinić and Frane Šitum and architect Damir Vujčić, was recently completed.

The project solution was adapted to the needs of the Croatian National Theater, more precisely to the needs of new theater space, because the way we live our lives has changed drastically due to the COVID -19 epidemic. Thus, it was concluded that the entire area of Gajo Bulat Square can be used as the Split Theater's outdoor space. The project solution also has the approval of the Split Conservation Department.

The costs necessary to revamp the Square will be known after the public procurement procedure and will include the renovation of the staircase in front of the Croatian National Theater, the erection of a monument to Dr. Gajo Filomen Bulat, a Croatian revivalist and the mayor of Split, fountains showing the former sources of drinking water in the Dobri area, and the construction of a park with trees and lush shrubs.

It is important to note that the public area around the Gajo Bulat monument will be paved with stone slabs placed in semi-dry mortar on a reinforced concrete slab according to a static calculation.

"Gajo Bulat was the leader of the People's Party of the Croatian municipality in Split and I believe that the time has finally come for him to get a lasting, tangible memory in his city. Together with the experts, the conservators, and listening to the citizens who have long called for the renovation of this most frequent entrance to the heart of the city, we have taken into account the possibilities, as well as the experiences of the epidemic in which we find ourselves. I believe that we will soon enrich this space with the figure of Gajo Bulat himself and greenery and water elements, but also arrange it for outdoor social events, as a new stage of our Theater," said Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara.

A public tender for the works will be announced by the end of the week.

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