September the 16th, 2026 – The long awaited Autism Centre is an enormous 35 million euro Zagreb project that is finally getting underway after a long 20+ year wait.
After over 20 years of announcements, the City of Zagreb has finally obtained a building permit for the construction of a new Autism Centre in Oporovec. It will provide modern and adapted conditions for learning, development and professional support for around 200 children, and will bring together programmes that are currently run at multiple locations across Zagreb.
Poslovni reports that the estimated value of the new Autism Centre in Oporovec is around 35 million euros, of which 19.3 million euros will be financed from EU funds through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NPOO), while the remaining amount will be secured from the City of Zagreb budget. Once the building permit becomes final, the preparation of project documentation and the public procurement procedure for selecting the contractor will follow. Construction is planned to start in the summer of 2027, with a planned duration of 18 months.
The new school will have 48 classroom departments and educational groups, as well as three preschool education and care groups. Specialised spaces are also planned for music and art therapy, household skills and aquatic therapy with a pool, sports halls and other facilities adapted to the needs of users.
According to the project by the architectural office SODA-ARHITEKTI, the centre will cover more than 9,600 square metres on three floors, with 60 parking spaces, nine of which are designated for people with disabilities. Attention has also been paid to the outdoor landscaping, with a main square featuring a sensory park, fountains and facilities for developing motor skills planned. “This is another of the projects that have been promised in Zagreb for more than twenty years, and now it is finally going into realisation,” said Zagreb Mayor Tomislav Tomašević.
Deputy Mayor Danijela Dolenec stressed that the new school will represent a major step forward in the quality of spatial and programmatic conditions for the education and upbringing of children and young people with autism. The Autism Centre currently cares for around 300 users through preschool programmes, primary education, full-day and half-day stay programmes, and organised housing, she said.
Dolenec added that the City of Zagreb continues to invest in the existing capacities of the Autism Centre. A public procurement for the renovation and arrangement of the sports hall in Ljevakovićeva Street, worth 250,000 euros, was recently launched, and around 750,000 euros has been invested in the renovation of the Centre’s existing facilities in recent years.
By the end of the year, the opening of a new Centre space in Juraj Dalmatinac Street is also planned, where early developmental and psychosocial support services will be provided for 40 children, as well as a stay programme for 30 adults with autism spectrum disorders. The City of Zagreb has also stated that 24 new special classroom departments and educational groups have been established in the new school year, increasing existing capacities by almost a quarter.
The number of special classroom departments has grown from 64 back in 2021 to 126 in 2026, while the network of schools implementing these programmes has been expanded to 55 schools across Zagreb, according to the City of Zagreb press release.
