The tunnel connects Mesnička and Radićeva streets.
As announced some time ago by Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandić, who opened the tunnel, the passage should become a tourist attraction and will feature two cultural projects. One of those projects is the Museum of Sensation, report telegram.hr on July 7, 2016.
The renovation of the structure involved new lighting, electrical installations, toilets and sound equipment. The exits towards Mesnička and Radićeva streets have been remodeled, as well as the three additional exits to Ilica. The walk through the tunnel lasts about five minutes. It is well lit and the music is playing all the way.
The renovation works started two months ago, in April, while the entire project was announced last summer. The original tunnel was built in 1945. The plans for it started in 1943, when the Allied bombing began, and the construction was finished in 1945. In the 1950s, it was used as storage for fresh fruit. Later on, in the early 1990s, during the Homeland War, the tunnel was a shelter, but after the war a few parties have been held there, as well as presentations and exhibitions.
The official name of the tunnel is Grič and it covers an area of 2,100 square metres. The passage is 350 metres long, and for the most part it is 3.2 metres wide, while its central area is about 5.5 metres wide.
Emil Matešić, director of the Cultural and Information Centre, is one of those with big plans for this new venue in the city. “It can be used for different things related to concerts, various social events, meditation and lectures, thematic exhibitions or even exhibitions dealing with site-specific topics bearing in mind the uniqueness that this place has”, said Matešić when the works in the tunnel started. As for the Museum of Sensation that should become a part of the tunnel, the idea came from the renowned architect Neda Cilinger.
