On July 22, 2026, a contract was ceremonially signed for the construction of the Center for Development of Cultural and Creative Industries in Banja Luka. The contract was signed by Siniša Šešum, Head of the UNESCO Office in BiH, and Maja Praštalo, Director of the company Integral inženjering a.d. Laktaši.
The Center, the first of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is envisioned as a space that will enable all interested parties to engage in creative work and expression in the fields of music, video, and multimedia content.
The joint venture “Integral inženjering a.d. Laktaši and Integra inženjering d.o.o. Banja Luka” was selected by UNESCO, as the most favorable bidder, to serve as the contractor for construction works on a building with a basement + ground floor + 2 upper floors (Su+P+2), with a total usable area of 2,991.00 m². The works include the reconstruction of the basement portion of the existing nuclear shelter building in the Lazarevo local community in Banja Luka, as well as the construction of three additional floors on that base. The contracted value of the works is USD 4.3 million excluding VAT (~KM 7.4 million), with a completion deadline of 18 months from the date of commencement of works.
The project is notable for being co-financed through EU donor funds via the EU4Culture program and by the City of Banja Luka, while the implementing/coordinating body is the UNESCO Office for BiH.
In addition to representatives of Banja Luka’s artistic community and the media, numerous high-ranking officials attended the ceremony:
- Ambassador Luigi Sorreca, Head of the EU Delegation to BiH;
- Siniša Šešum, Head of the UNESCO Office in BiH;
- Draško Stanivuković, Mayor of Banja Luka;
- Maja Praštalo, Director of Integral inženjering.
In their remarks, the high-ranking officials emphasized the importance of creating the conditions for creative artistic work and expression for all interested artists, cultural workers, and young people through the construction of this and similar facilities.
