The Vucedol Culture Museum by Radionica Arhitekture has opened its doors to the public after more than a decade of development. It was completed in 2013 but only opened on 30 June.

The museum has set up shop at Vucedol on the bank of the river Danube in eastern Croatia, one of Europe’s most important archaeological sites.

The HRK179m (US$26.2m, €23.6m, £16.7m) building is made up of a series of terraces that climb gently, following the topography.

The idea behind the 1,200sq m (13,000sq ft) design was integration into the terrain, which Radionica has achieved by burying the building, leaving only the façade open to the landscape. The museum blends with its surroundings, with brick chosen for the outer facing material to create a contrast.

Museum visitors are educated about Vucedol culture, before using the museum's serpentine green roof to access the archaeological plateau.

The development is part of the Croatian government's Ilok-Vukovar-Vucedol project, which features the renovation of a number of locations, including Odescalchi Castle, a Franciscan monastery, the Eltz Castle complex, Vukovar City Museum and parks in the historical centre of Ilok.

The wider Ilok-Vukovar-Vucedol project was financed with a loan from the Council of Europe Development Bank, with an additional state fund of HRK56.9m (US$8.3m, €7.5m, £5.3m) and HRK156.2m (US$22.9m, €20.6m, £14.6m) from Croatia’s Ministry of Culture.

Due to its favourable strategic position, the area has always been subject to colonisation. As a result, Vucedol provides detailed insight into how civilisations and cultures developed at the time of the first Indo-European settlers around 6000 BC, giving researchers insights into settlers’ everyday lives and customs.

In addition to displaying local archaeological finds, the museum features a reconstruction of the Vucedol settlement – which has been recognised as the basis of European culture. The Vucedol site also includes; the restored Villa Streim, which will serve as a research centre for archaeologists and old crafts workshops for the demonstrations of crafts from Vucedol culture.

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