Music Pavilion

The Music Pavilion in Bjelovar is one of the best-loved landmarks of the town, a graceful open structure of pale stone set in the park beside the main square, Trg Eugena Kvaternika. It was designed by the architect Zdenko Strižić and completed in 1943, in the middle of the Second World War, and it was conceived as a place for concerts and public gatherings in a town that had a strong tradition of brass bands and civic music. The pavilion is built of white limestone from the island of Brač, the same family of stone that was used in Diocletian's Palace in Split and, famously, in the White House in Washington, which gives the building a small place in the wider story of stone and architecture. It is often described as the largest stone pavilion in Europe.

The design is elegant and generous. A circular platform with columns supports a roof and shelters a stage, and broad steps lead down to the park, so that audiences can sit or stand around the structure on all sides. The proportions are classical, and the pale stone glows warmly in the sunshine and turns soft in the evening light. The pavilion was renovated in 2015, using stone chosen to match the original as closely as possible, and it has been returned to good condition. It is always open, since it is part of the public park, and it is used for concerts, celebrations and community events throughout the year, from summer music evenings to Advent markets, and from May Day festivities to school graduations.

Local people use the pavilion for the big moments of life. Weddings are photographed on its steps, graduates pose for pictures under its roof and families gather for festivals, and it is also simply a place to meet and sit. The park around it, called Park Bjelovar, is a pleasant green space with flower beds, shade trees and benches, open day and night, so the pavilion can be enjoyed at any hour. In winter, the pavilion is decorated with lights, and in spring the flowers around it bloom in neat beds.

Bjelovar is a small town with a calm pace, and the pavilion gives a good first impression. It lies next to the Cathedral of St. Theresa of Avila and the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, and the Memorial of Barutana is a short walk away. The town has cafés and restaurants around the main square, and the Bilogora hills nearby offer vineyards, small lakes and walking routes.

The pavilion suits photographers, families, music lovers and anyone who enjoys a bandstand in a park. Visit on a summer evening to catch a concert, or in the morning for quiet and soft light.