Split selects builder for Diocletian's Palace tower on 13 November

Diocletian's Palace in Split has gained a new restoration project after the city selected MAR to rebuild its southeast tower on 13 November 2026. The work will connect a currently empty tower with new museum spaces, a restored Roman-era loggia and a planned lookout.

Split assigns the southeast tower restoration to MAR

The decision concerns the southeast tower and part of the adjoining building at Lukaciceva 5. The selected contractor is the Samobor-based company MAR, chosen by the City of Split for the reconstruction.

The project includes two separate areas for the Split City Museum. One space is planned on the ground floor of the tower, with access from the Riva through an ancient doorway. Another will occupy the adjoining building and the tower's first floor. The contract is expected to run for 12 months from the start of works.

The city will procure the interior design, equipment and museum display separately. The report does not announce a visitor programme or a reopening date for the new spaces, so the project is a future change rather than a new attraction already open to the public. Details of the selected project were reported by N1 Croatia from Hina.

A museum, loggia and lookout inside the palace project

The adjoining building is attached to the palace walls from the inside. Between the building and tower stands a covered loggia with columns from the Roman period. It was built into the facade during the nineteenth century and is planned for reopening as an exhibition space.

An ancient staircase from the loggia leads towards the top of the tower. The project plans a lookout there for smaller visitor groups. It also includes repairs to the stone walls and work on part of the walkway along the top of the palace's eastern wall.

The tower is currently empty. The adjoining structure partly stands on an earth embankment, where uneven settlement has caused cracking. The plan therefore includes removing some walls and transferring their load to new walls and supports.

This creates a direct link between the palace's Roman fabric and its future museum use. The loggia, staircase and eastern-wall walkway are not separate modern additions: they are the parts of the building that will shape how the planned museum spaces connect with the historic structure.

The tower links Roman fabric with future public use

Diocletian's Palace is one of the best-preserved monuments of Roman building heritage, according to the Split Tourist Board's palace overview. It is not an isolated archaeological shell: streets, buildings and public spaces occupy the historic complex in central Split.

That urban setting explains the practical importance of the southeast tower project. The planned museum rooms will sit inside an existing part of the city, while the restored loggia and lookout are intended to reveal architectural features that are currently closed or empty. The report gives no opening date for the museum spaces and no confirmed date for public access to the lookout.

The work also forms part of a wider effort to improve the eastern edge of the palace. Repairs to the walkway will connect the tower project with a route along the historic wall, although the report does not set out a completed route or visitor timetable.

Visiting Diocletian's Palace: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The relevant news date is 13 November 2026, when the City of Split selected MAR for the southeast tower reconstruction.
• The planned museum rooms, restored loggia and lookout are not announced as open visitor facilities; no opening date has been given.
• The project concerns the southeast tower and adjoining building at Lukaciceva 5, including the eastern-wall walkway and an ancient staircase.
• The site is an urban Roman complex in central Split, with the Riva forming the coastal edge of the historic area.

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Frequently asked questions about Diocletian's Palace

What has changed at Diocletian's Palace?

On 13 November 2026, Split selected MAR to reconstruct the southeast tower and part of its adjoining building. The planned result includes museum spaces, a restored loggia and a lookout.

Where is Diocletian's Palace and how do you get there?

It is in the historic centre of Split, Croatia, beside the Riva. The southeast tower project is linked to Lukaciceva 5.

What is Diocletian's Palace?

It is a preserved Roman building complex in central Split that contains streets, buildings, public spaces and the structures being adapted for the new museum project.