Zagreb To Get Hotel For Brainboxes

In spite of all the endless talk of dumbing down in today's culture, it seems that Croatia is bucking the trend by launching what's been described as Europe's very first "brain resort."

According to The Croatian Times, Zagreb is set to host this novel enterprise. The internationally acclaimed architects Marijan Turkulin and Wolf D. Prix will be weaving their design magic on the the project. Wolf Prix's Vienna-based team Coop Himmelblau is responsible for such notable buildings as Munich's Pavilion 21 Mini Opera Space, the BMW Welt in the same city, and Frankfurt's European Central Bank.

The Croatian Times specifies that the "culturehotel" will comprise of 5000 square metres, at a cost of 30 million Euros. The main backer is Mr. Ante Zuzul, director of the publishing house Skolska Knjiga. He has announced that he's looking for co-financiers, ideally from the academic world.

So what distinguishes a "culturehotel" from your run-of-the-mill accommodation venue? Well, apparently the Zagreb enterprise will boast cutting edge conference rooms where clients can host virtual lectures. Likewise, there will be spaces tailored for art exhibitions and academic assemblies. On the upper floors, accommodation to suit visiting scholars and artists will be created. What more could any self-respecting prof ask for?