BTC Residence

BTC ResidenCedomesticating the commercial periphery

of Ljubljana

STUDIO LJUBLJANA:

BTC ResidenceDomesticating the Commercial Periphery of Ljubljana

Koen Schaballie

Thesis voorgedragen tot het behalenvan de graad van Master of Science

in de ingenieurswetenschappen:architectuur

Promotoren:Tom Thys

Ward Verbakel

Academiejaar 2013 2014

Master of Science in de ingenieurswetenschappen: architectuur

4 Copyright KU Leuven

Without written permission of the

promotors and the authors it is forbidden

to reproduce or adapt in any form or by

any means any part of this publication.

Requests for obtaining the right to

reproduce or utilize parts of this publication

should be addressed to dept. Architecture,

Kasteelpark Arenberg 1/2431, B-3001

Leuven, +32-16-321361 or via e-mail to

[email protected].

A written permission of the promotor is

also required to use the methods, products,

schematics and programs described in this

work for industrial or commercial use, and

for submitting this publication in scientific

contests.

All images in this booklet are, unless

credits are given, made or drawn by the

authors (Studio Ljubljana).

5DankwoordMijn oprechte dank gaat naar mijn twee promotoren Ward

Verbakel en Tom Thys. Zij gingen met ons op weg, eerst op reis

naar Lubljana en vervolgens op weg om mijn masterproef tot een

goed einde te brengen. Hun enthousiasme en passie werkten

aanstekelijk!

Ook wil ik mijn medestudenten bedanken voor de fijne

samenwerking en de ideen die we samen uitwerkten in de vele

uren op de zolder in de molen.

Tenslotte, dank ook aan allen die mij steunden bij het volbrengen

van deze masterproef en mijn studies.: mijn ouders, Masha, mijn

vriendin, mijn broers en zussen en allen die mij aanmoedigden of

hier of daar logistieke steun gaven. Mama en Masha, zonder jullie

had dit project er totaal anders uitgezien, bedankt voor alles!

Koen Schaballie

6Abstract (EN)The large-scale housing developments of today are mainly

determined by economic powers. The result is usually a hyper

individual architecture in which collective functions are minimized

as much as possible, as they dont count as marketable floor

area. In the Eastern periphery of Ljubljana, the biggest shopping

& entertainment district of Slovenia is located, BTC. BTC is the

thriving force behind an ambitious city development plan that will

link the district with the historic city centre. A tram line will be

constructed between the two, and a colossal park with a series

of large scale housing developments will be erected along. While

BTC could use a severe urban redevelopment itself, it seems that

its nature will stay more or less the same and that it will continue

expanding as a car-shopping-district. BTC Residence proves that

there is an alternative for this status-quo and illustrates that BTC

with all its urban facilities contains the potential to evolve into a

vibrant neighbourhood for residents, shoppers and shopkeepers.

In BTC Residence, a new type of living is imagined, which serves

the several parties. BTC Residence stands as a powerful mark in

the shopping fabric: it embraces the commercial infrastructure

but will equally domesticate it.

7Abstract (NL)Grote huisvestingsprojecten worden vandaag voornamelijk

bepaald door de economische machthebbers. Het resultaat is

doorgaans een hyperindividuele architectuur waarbij collectieve

functies tot een minimum beperkt worden, zij leveren immers

geen winstgevende vloeroppervlakte. In de oostelijke periferie van

Ljubljana ligt het grootste shopping & entertainment district van

Sloveni, BTC. BTC is de drijvende kracht achter een ambitieus

stadsontwikkelingsproject dat het zal verbinden met het

stadscentrum. Er komt een tram tussen de twee, met hierlangs

allerlei huisvestingsprojecten en een kolossaal park. Hoewel het

ruimteverslindende shopping district zelf ook nood heeft aan een

stevige stadsvernieuwing, zal het nagenoeg ongewijzigd blijven

en verder uitdijen. BTC residence wil afzien van deze status

quo en bewijst dat BTC City met al zijn stedelijke functies het

potentieel heeft om uit te groeien tot een waardevolle buurt voor

zowel bewoners, shoppers als winkeliers. In BTC residence wordt

een andere vorm van wonen en shoppen bedacht die meerdere

partijen ten goede komt. BTC residence staat als een krachtig

gebaar in het shopping weefsel: het omarmt de commercile

infrastructuur, maar zal het tegelijkertijd ook intomen.

8Table of Contents 7

PROLOGUE 9

THE SOCIALIST EXPERIMENT 13

1.1 Socio-Political Context 14

Changing State Structures 14

A Sequence of Economies 16

A House for Everyone 18

Sudden Privatisation 20

The Market Rules 22

1.2. Materialising Ideologies 24

XIII projects 24

The Modernist Approach (1945-1960) 26

Scandinavian Inspiration and Structuralist Architecture (1960-1990) 28

ika 30

Block 32

Supervilla 34

1.3. Creativity in Collectivity 36

THE ARRIVAL OF CAPITALISM 39

2.1. BTC 40

New Function for a Logistic Hub 40

19 hours at BTC 43

Wide range of Shopping typologies 44

Metropolitan Vibrancy 46

2.2. The martinska Partnership 50

Peripheral site 50

Linking the Centre 52

Five Character Areas 52

Feasibility 54

Proposals for BTC 58

1.

2.

9The Status-Quo of BTC 59

2.3. The Potential of BTC 60

THE ARRIVAL OF INHABITANTS 65

3.1. BTC residence 66

New Function for a Commercial Zone 66

Perimeter-Blocks in the Pipeline 68

Addressing Bigness 70

Parking Lot 72

All-You-Need in Hand-Reach 72

Defining Places 74

A New Shopping Typology 82

3.2. The Quadrangle 84

Neighbourhood, Building, Street, Flat 84

Street in the Air 86

Four Angles 90

Figure Ground 92

COMING IN 96

WALKING UP 102

EPILOGUE 125Bibliography 130

3.

PROLOGUE

Socio-Political Context12

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_55kHX_188)http://www.belterracohousing.ca/

Watch from 2:19: Cohousing is a great way to live in the 21st century. The best of all, this community is located on a small island surrounded by the ocean and only 20 minutes by ferry from Vancouver. Does cohousing necessarily mean a separation from society?


In the Eastern periphery of Ljubljana, the biggest shopping &

entertainment district of Slovenia is located, BTC. In BTC everything

you need is in hand-reach: a fresh market, a dentist, a swimming pool,

a theatre... Transport between the buildings happens exclusively by

car and parking is free of charge everywhere. BTC is the thriving

force behind an ambitious city development plan that will link the

district with the historic city centre: the martinska Masterplan. A

tram line will be constructed between the two, and a series of large

scale housing developments will be erected along. While BTC could

use a severe urban redevelopment itself, it seems that its nature

will stay more or less the same and that it will continue expanding

as a car-shopping-district. BTC Residence proves that there is a

sustainable alternative for this profit-driven scenario.

In the first chapter, the socio-political background of Ljubljana and

Slovenia is analysed. We particularly focus on the Socialist period

which resulted in a clear expression of collectivity in architecture and

the urban fabric of Ljubljana. In the second chapter, we zoom in on

BTC and illustrate how this development can be seen the symbol of

the arrival of Capitalism. The third chapter introduces a new era

in the history of BTC: the arrival of inhabitants. A masterplan is

developed which deals with a particular area of BTC. To test the

masterplan, one building is worked out in detail.

Cohousing is often manifested as a community isolating from society.

A literal demonstration of this can be found in the Belterra Cohousing

project in which wealthy families live on an island next to Vancouver

(see figure). Does cohousing necessarily mean a separation from

society? Can this protective familiar environment of cohousing

also be created inside a more urban environment amalgamated

with the rest of the city? Maybe the concept of cohousing suits the

new inhabitants of BTC as a way to cope with the somewhat harsh

environment? How much can be shared in a hyper urban context?

THE SOCIALIST EXPERIMENT1.


1 GOW J, Slovenia and the Slovenes, London, 2010, p. 110.

1.1 Socio-Political context

Changing State StructuresThe territory that today constitutes Slovenia changed numerous

times between various realms. From the Roman Empire, to the

Austria-Hungarian Empire, to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia before

the Second World War. During the War, the country was briefly

occupied by the Nazis until it was liberated by the Partisan Army

under the command of general Josip Broz Tito. A short period of

Communism in line with the USSR followed, but after disputes

between Tito and Stalin in 1948, Yugoslavia went its own way.

From then on, Tito built its own socialism for Yugoslavia tactically

oscillating between East and West.1 Tito remained the head

of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia till his death in

1980. Slovenia was one of the Republics until its independence

Bregenz

AlexandriaG

Tirgovist

CraiovaSlatina

Drobeta Turnu-Severin

SuceavaB

Piatra-N

Stiniu Ghe

Bucuresti (Bu

Country of South SlavsAustria-Hungaria Slovenia1970 1980 1990 2000 20101940 1950 19601910 1920 19301880 1890 19001870

Socialist Federal Republik of YugoslaviaRoyal YugoslaviaAustria-Hungaria Slovenia1970 1980 1990 2000 20101940 1950 19601910 1920 19301880 1890 19001870

EU 20081982


Bregenz

AlexandriaG

Tirgovist

CraiovaSlatina

Drobeta Turnu-Severin

SuceavaB

Piatra-N

Stiniu Ghe

Bucuresti (Bu

Country of South SlavsAustria-Hungaria Slovenia1970 1980 1990 2000 20101940 1950 19601910 1920 19301880 1890 19001870

Socialist Federal Republik of YugoslaviaRoyal YugoslaviaAustria-Hungaria Slovenia1970 1980 1990 2000 20101940 1950 19601910 1920 19301880 1890 19001870

EU 20081982

in 1991, when it became a neo-liberal democracy and afterwards

a member of the European Union. The link between the Slovenes

in every state structure over time, has always been its own

language, originating from the Slavs that arrived between the

sixth and eight centuries.


Socialist Federal Republik of YugoslaviaRoyal Yugoslavia Slovenia1970 1980 1990 2000 20101940 1950 19601920 1930

Agricultural Employment of Slovene Lands

80 %

90 %

70 %

60 %

50 %

40 %

30 %

20 %

10 %

TITOARMYPARTY

PR

IVAT

IZAT

ION

PAR

TISA

N L

IBER

ATIO

N

1982 EU 2008

65%Agricultural employment

46%Industrial employment

Smallholdings/Enterprises Farmers/Employers

Self-

suffici

ent

Work force

Goods & Services

Enterprises

Local governmentEmployers/Citizens

Supp

ort

Work force

Obedience

local

63%Services employment

Enterprises Employers/Consumers

Work force

Goods & Services

A Sequence of EconomiesIn contrast to other European regions, Yugoslavia and Slovenia

were still mainly rural at the beginning of the twentieth century.

In the1920s, 65 percent of the Slovenian working population was

employed in the agricultural sector: the economy was based on

smallholdings and few other enterprises 2.

After WW2, a whole new structure of society was believed to

be necessary with Socialism as the ideological framework. The

main objective was not to represent society as it was, as a normal

democracy would do, but to radically change it into a class-

less one.3 The Yugoslavs introduced the concept of workers

self-managment as the key-concept of their Socialism, clearly

distinguishing themselves from the Communists of the USSR.

Self-managment provided the practical tools to evolve towards

a stateless and self-regulated society, guided by the working

class. The financial motors for this system were the industrial

enterprises, which were socially owned by their employees. The

employees were involved in decision making of the enterprise

2 GOW J, Slovenia and the Slovenes, London, 2010, p. 110.

3 JOVIC D, Yugoslavia as a project and experiment, unfinished modernisations, Zagreb, 2012, p. 17.


Socialist Federal Republik of YugoslaviaRoyal Yugoslavia Slovenia1970 1980 1990 2000 20101940 1950 19601920 1930

Agricultural Employment of Slovene Lands

80 %

90 %

70 %

60 %

50 %

40 %

30 %

20 %

10 %

TITOARMYPARTY

PR

IVAT

IZAT

ION

PAR

TISA

N L

IBER

ATIO

N

1982 EU 2008

65%Agricultural employment

46%Industrial employment

Smallholdings/Enterprises Farmers/Employers

Self-

suffici

ent

Work force

Goods & Services

Enterprises

Local governmentEmployers/Citizens

Supp

ort

Work force

Obedience

local

63%Services employment

Enterprises Employers/Consumers

Work force

Goods & Services

via workers councils (see fig 8), they could elect their own

management and if the company made profit, they received a

share. Moreover, the enterprises provided social services for

their employees such as holidays and housing. This way socio-

political entities were formed around enterprises, constructing a

decentralized society. The enterprises were competing amongst

each other in a semi-market economy, people could travel freely

and there was press freedom.

However, a relatively participatory, democratic economy on the

company level functioned within a wider authoritarian system

of political monopoly 4. The Party planned the construction of

new enterprises, supervised the enterprises but also protected

the unproductive ones. This meant that workers didnt actually

depend on their self-managed decisions which eroded their

responsibility and subverted market mechanisms. The financial

debt that followed out of this protectionism is often seen as one

of the main reasons of the final collapse of the system. Moreover,

the system was not flexible enough to adapt to the newly emerging

service-based economy.

A workers council of a self-managed enterprise A

A BLAU, RUPNIK, Project Zagreb, transition as condition, (Croation State Archive), Barcelona, 2007, pp. 209.

4 JAKOPOVICH D., Yugoslavias Self-Managment, Keep space for Peace, Spokesman 117, pp. 57 - 63, 2011.


1982Socialist Federal Republik of Yugoslavia Slovenia

1970 1980 1990 2000 20101950 1960EU 2008

Employees

Municipality

local

Work force

Solidarity Contributions

Housing Fund

local

FamilyHousing Bank

Housing Fund

Financially not-favorable condition

Financially semi-favorable condition

Financially favorable condition

SocialRent

C

SocialRent

PrivatePurchase

WithFamily

HeritageDonation

A B C D E

Self-help

F

LOAN

RENT

RENT

18% 3% 7% 24% 18% 25%


1970 1980 1990 2000 20101950 1960EU 2008

Employees

Municipality

local

Work force


Housing Fund

local

FamilyHousing Bank

Housing Fund




SocialRent

C

SocialRent

PrivatePurchase

WithFamily

HeritageDonation

A B C D E

Self-help

F

LOAN

RENT

RENT

18% 3% 7% 24% 18% 25%

A House for EveryoneDuring the socialist regime, housing was a constitutional right.

The state tried to provide housing for every working person,

but a big share of the population had to obtain housing without

the support of the state. Professor Srna Mandic commissioned

a study on the population of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia

in 1984, and concluded that there were six ways of obtaining a

house (see fig. 7: A,B,C,D,E and F) 5.

The first two methods, applied by one fifth of the interviewed

people, were heavily supported by the state and were called

social rent. Social rent was in line with the concept of the

self-managed enterprises. A share of their profit was invested

Six ways of obtaining a house in Slovenia under socialism (1984).Data: MANDIC 1996.

5 MANDIC S, The meaning of home ownership in the transition from socialism, Urban Studies, Vol. 33, No. 1, Glasgow, 1996, pp. 88.



1970 1980 1990 2000 20101950 1960EU 2008

Employees

Municipality

local

Work force


Housing Fund

local

FamilyHousing Bank

Housing Fund




SocialRent

C

SocialRent

PrivatePurchase

WithFamily

HeritageDonation

A B C D E

Self-help

F

LOAN

RENT

RENT

18% 3% 7% 24% 18% 25%

B BLAU, RUPNIK, Project Zagreb, transition as condition, (Croation State Archive), Barcelona, 2007, pp. 250.

C TSENKOVA, Housing Policy Reforms in Post-Socialist Europe. Alberta, 2009, pp. 213.

into two institutions: the Housing Fund of the enterprise and

the Housing Fund of the municipality. With the money of its

own Housing Fund, the enterprise could provide housing for

its employees (A). Architectural competitions were held for the

design, while the construction was executed by state-owned

construction enterprises. Housing typologies varied according

to the specific situation. The allocation of dwellings was based

on a number of eligibility criteria on which a priority list was

established. The eligibility criteria included the housing need, the

number of household members, disabilities, health conditions,

but also the employees position, years with the enterprise as

well as the social and economic position of household members.

Even though the dwellings were social property, the occupants

had de facto property rights: guaranteed lifetime occupancy, no

eviction without compensation with another unit and the right to

inherit or transfer housing to family members. Rents were very

low and typically did not even cover operation and maintenance

costs. On the other hand, a share of the profit of the enterprise

went to the municipality fund of the local government (B). The

allocation was commissioned with a waiting list as well, and

several decades of patience was necessary.

The Housing Funds were also used to provide cheaper loans to

the employees via the Housing Bank, this accounted for 7 % of the

interviewed people (C). Becoming a homeowner was economically

much less attractive than being a social renter because of the

costs of the mortgage repayment. Other important strategies of

obtaining a home were inheritance (D) or living with the family (E).

The largest share of the people (25%) obtained their house

without any state support by making it their-self usually with the

help of friends and family (F). Although it was not encouraged,

the state realized that the construction of self-help houses was

necessary to meet the housing needs. Some houses were legally

constructed, but also informal settlements in urban and non-

urban areas arose. Often, de facto legality was implied over time

by the fact that the settlements were not demolished, and some

infrastructure, such as piped water, electricity and sewer were

provided afterwards.

Areal view of a socio-political entity consisting of an enterprise and adjacent housing estates provided for the workers. B

Informal self-help housing in Kosovo.C


Sudden PrivatisationAfter the independence of Slovenia in 1991 and the fall of socialism,

the socially owned property had to be privatised. With regard to

housing, 33 per cent of the total housing stock of Slovenia was

hitherto socially owned, as it was used for social rent by the title-

holders (i.e. the municipality or the enterprises) 6. Due to the

Housing Act, the title-holders were obliged to offer their housing

stock to the sitting tenants. The Housing Act also determined the

price of the sale, on basis of the housing unit quality and the year

of construction. There was often a large discrepancy between the

book value and the market value as locality was not considered

and huge discounts were granted.

The Housing Act has produced a whole new class of apartment

owners, many of whom do not have the necessary prerogatives

of ownership (high income or wealth), since they became

owners more by circumstance than by normal economic criteria.

The new mixed ownership buildings (previously 100 per cent

tenant-occupied) are facing severe problems in maintenance

and the financing of major repairs. Moreover, the surrounding

socially owned grounds of the estates were often not sold. As a

consequence, these grounds are often not maintained or falsely

claimed by developers to exploit it as parking.


1970 1980 1990 2000 20101950 1960EU 2008

1993: Non-profit Rent1991: Public Rent, owned by Enterprise

1991: Public Rent, owned by Municipality1993: Non-profit Rent

Owner-occupied

Housing Fund

Housing Fund

local Priority to former tenants

Prices very low

Owner

total housing stock of Slovenia total housing stock of Slovenia

1991 1993

SALES SELL

Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008


Slovenian Housing FundFamilyBankDevelopper Individual

Financially semi-favorable

Financially favorable Owner

No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

6 STANOVIK T, The Sale of the Social Housing Stock in Slovenia: What Happened and Why, Urban Studies, Vol. 31, No. 9, Glasgow, 1993, pp. 1559.

D Photograph of collective ground surrounding estates being exploited as parking lot.

E Photograph of a privatised former social-rent housing estate.

Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

Privatisation between 1991 and 1993. DATA: MANDIC 1996.

Tenancy comparison between Slovenia and Belgium in 2011.DATA: EUROSTAT. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/


Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

D

E


Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

6 PETERLIN M, The effects of crisis on realestate market and construction industry in Slovenia, Slovenian URBACT NationalDissemination Point, Brussels, 2010, pp. 2.

The Market RulesWhereas during socialism the large scale housing projects were

monitored by the government, after the independence they were to

be realised by market mechanisms. As Andreja Cirman from the

Faculty of Economics in Ljubljana noted, things went out of hand:

The situation on the housing market of Slovenia today displays

the consequences of the financial and economic crisis on the one

hand, weakening the demand, but on the other hand it is also

the consequence of past behaviour of developers and investors.

Many of them have built on the assumption that the market will

swallow anything. The Celovki dvori project, comprising of

nearly 1000 dwellings, is a typical example of such thinking. Its

poor quality architecture and pathological hyper-density make it

a clear case of abuse of space. [...] These dwellings were built

in a quest for profit without taking into account the needs of

the future residents.6 Because the majority of the dwellings of

Celovki Dvori remained unsold, the construction company had

to lower their prices considerably in order to save itself from

bankruptcy. Subsequently, the government bought a large share

for social housing which transformed the estate into a ghetto with

significant social unrest.

The Celovki Dvori is just one example of many other similar

housing developments around Ljubljana. Map 2 shows several

recent-built housing projects that we visited. They seem to

incorporate higher density, lower living quality and less creativity

than their modernist predecessors.

Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

0 1 km 2 km


Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

Slovenia1990 2000 2010

EU 2008





No loanReduced

RentOwnerLoan

A B C D

OwnerNo loan

Reduced Rent

OwnerLoan

A B C D

SL

BE

NormalRent

NormalRent

26 Materialising Ideologies

1.2. MaterialiSing ideologieS

E. Mihevc (11-85) prof Ljubljana

IKEA

first collective housing project

symbol of liberalism: an international city

standardisation: first large scale residential area

tower housing typology with flexible plans

first prefab system

individualism on large scale

selfsustainable scandinavian neighbourhood

the economical crisis effects housing quality

liberalism and luxury apartments

the modernist villas on the edge of the city

symbol of nationalism: a new state with a national city in a traditional style

symbol of socialism: combining the commercial, cultural and political power

symbol of kapitalism: a new economic power

M. Fabiani (65-62) prof ViennaC. Sitte (43-03) City planner Ljubljana

O. Wagner (41-18)

J. Costaperaria (76-51)

Le Corbusier (87-65)P. Jeanneret (96-67) Perret Brothers (74-54)C. Perriand (03-99)

V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)

J. Lajovic (32)G. Kosak (32)M. Dobravec-Lajovic (31)O. Jugovec (21-87)

I. Arnautovic (24-09)S. Sever (27-03) prof LjubljanaM. MihelicM. BonceS. Kristl

F. Ivansek (22-07)M. Ivansek

M. Music

E. Ravnikar (07-93) prof Ljubljana

E. Ravnikar (07-93) M. Oraen (00-75) M. Sever F. Novak (06-59)H. Brni (14-91)M. Tepina (13-04)J. Kruni (15-01)M. upani (14-07)

OCCURRENCES

XIII ICONS

M. Fabiani (65-62) prof Ljubljana

I. Vurnik (84-71) Found School of Architecture

J. Plenik (72-57) prof Ljubljana

I. Vurnik (84-71)

I. Vurnik (84-71) H. Hus (96-60)J. Omahen (98-80)D. Serajnik (99-83)

F. Tomai (99-68)M. Strenar (01-68)

TOWARDS A SLOVENIAN IDENTITY THE MODERNIST APPROACH A SCANDINAVIAN INSPIRATION BREAKING WITH THE PAST

A search for identity and a national style

Plenik-schoolA search for an international style

Vurnik-school

A think thank for art , philosophy and architecture. Searching for a Slovenian identity and style but open toward the world and its tendencies.

Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND

SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN

AND NEOFUNCTIONALISM

CONTEMPORARY

ARCHITECTURE

STRUCTURAL

ARCHITECTURE

DUTCH NEOFUNCTIONALISM

NEOFORMALISM

STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM

1925 PARISInternational Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts. Ivan Vurnic changes camp.

1931 LJUBLJANAThe competition for the National and University Library. It was a showdown between Plecnik and Vurnik. Plecnik won the competition.

1929-1940 PARISThe studio of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret where they had international connections with Japan and Denmark

1950 LJUBLJANA Ravnikar promotes the finnish architecture of Alvar Aalto (98-76).

1965-1970 LJUB LJANA Scandinavian models are the inspiration for a lot of projects on different scales in Ljubljana. Also ingineering becomes more and more important as where the projects become bigger and a higher economical efficiency was needed.

1991 LJUB LJANA The fall of Yugoslavia. Slovenia becomes independent. The borders open towards more liberal countries and kapitalism becomes visible in the city.

1920 LJUBLJANAIvan Vurnic founds the Faculty of Architecture together with Max Fabiani and Joe Plenik.

1895 LJUBLJANAAn earthquake brings renowned architects to Ljubljana.

XIII projectsThis section provides an overview of the key players within the

architectural history of Ljubljana. These players created icons

for the city in terms of housing typologies and monuments that,

intentional or not, put their mark on the city image. To illustrate

the history of ideologies that defined Ljubljana, thirteen iconic

projects are depicted. In the end of the section, a selection of

the typical neighbourhoods and housing typologies is showed, as

reminiscences of Socialism.

E. Mihevc (11-85) E. Ravnikar (07-93) France Ivanek (22-07) I. Arnautovic (24-09)

O. Wagner (41-18) M. Fabiani (65-62) J. Plenik (72-57) I. Vurnic (84-71)


IKEA





first prefab system










O. Wagner (41-18)



V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)




M. Music



OCCURRENCES

XIII ICONS




I. Vurnik (84-71)






Vurnik-school


Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND

SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN


CONTEMPORARY

ARCHITECTURE

STRUCTURAL

ARCHITECTURE


NEOFORMALISM

STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM









by Jens Verley, Mait Delvaux, Laura Van Bel, Pieter-Jan Debuyst



IKEA





first prefab system










O. Wagner (41-18)



V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)




M. Music



OCCURRENCES

XIII ICONS




I. Vurnik (84-71)






Vurnik-school


Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND

SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN


CONTEMPORARY

ARCHITECTURE

STRUCTURAL

ARCHITECTURE


NEOFORMALISM

STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM










IKEA





first prefab system










O. Wagner (41-18)



V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)




M. Music



OCCURRENCES

XIII ICONS




I. Vurnik (84-71)






Vurnik-school


Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND

SCANDINAVIAN DESIGN


CONTEMPORARY

ARCHITECTURE

STRUCTURAL

ARCHITECTURE


NEOFORMALISM

STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM









school buildings within neighbourhoodpublic facilities within neighbourhoodhousing within neighbourhoodother

http://www.geopedia.si/ 13.10.29http://urbanizem.ljubljana.si/ 13.10.29http://www.virostatiq.com/data/ljubljana-building-ages/ 13.10.29

0 200 500 m 1 km 2 km


F http://www.fondationlecorbusier.fr/corbuweb/morpheus.aspx?sysId=13&IrisObjectId=6719&sysLanguage=en-en&itemPos=83&itemCount=300&sysParentId=15, 13.10.22

G http://corbu2.caed.kent.edu/architronic/v4n2/pix/v4n2.02pa.jpg, 13.10.22

The Modernist Approach (1945-1960)During the interwar period, Bauhaus and CIAM laid the

groundwork for the modernist ideology.

A seminar by Ivan Vurnik introduced Slovenian students to the

architecture of Le Corbusier and other modernists and the

excursion to the international exhibition of decorative arts in Paris

in 1925 encouraged them to apply for scholarships issued by the

French government. Pleniks stubbornness towards modernism

caused 15 per cent of his pre-war students to leave Ljubljana to

study under Le Corbusier in Paris. Here they met many leading

architects of the modern ideology. Designers from all over the

world, including Japanese and Danish architects, would change

their perspective on architecture, leaving post-war Ljubljana with

a new generation of architects. Edvard Ravnikar was one of the

last students of Plenik to seize this opportunity and he would

play an important role in the architectural history of Ljubljana.

Ravnikars architecture looks modernist but isnt a complete

break with Pleniks teachings. He combines the modern with

traditional methods and materials, like brick, thus creating a

critical regionalism.

In 1955 the state launches its own form of socialism, self-

management, and thereby dissociates itself with Stalins

communism. The atmosphere changes from a communist to

a consumption society, holding new architectural challenges.

A good example is Ravnikars square of revolution, designed

in 1959, which serves as a large parking space and contains a

supermarket and several cultural facilities such as a theatre.

Two towers overlook the square and symbolise the political and

economical power of the new, socialist Ljubljana.

E. Ravnikar (07-93) Le Corbusier (87-65) E. Mihevc (11-85) I. Arnautovic (24-09)J. Plenik (72-57)

Studio of Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret at rue de Svres in Paris F

Square of Revolution, designed by Edvard Ravnikar. After 1991, the break of Yugoslavia, it became Square of the Republic G



IKEA

FIRST COLLECTIVE HOUSING PROJECT

STANDARDISATION : FIRST LARGE SCALE RESIDENTIAL AREA

LUXURY APARTMENTS IN TOWER TYPOLOGY

TOWER TYPOLOGY FOR HOUSING WITH FLEXIBLE PLANS

FIRST PREFAB-SYSTEM

INDIVIDUALISM ON LARGE SCALE

SELFSUSTAINABLE SCANDINAVIAN NEIGHBOURHOOD

THE ECONOMICAL CRISIS AND THE LOSS OF IDENTITY MAKES BUILDING COMPLEXES FAIL

LIBERALISM BRINGS BACK LUXURY APARTMENTS

THE MODERNIST VILLAS ON THE EDGE OF THE CITY

SYMBOL OF NATIONALISM : A NEW STATE WITH A NATIONAL CITY IN A TRADITIONAL STYLE

SYMBOL OF LIBERALISM : AN INTERNATIONAL CITY

SYMBOL OF SOCIALISM : A NEW REGIME WITH A UNITED COMMERCIAL, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL POWER

SYMBOL OF KAPITALISM : A NEW ECONOMIC POWER


O. Wagner (41-18)



V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)




M. Music


E. Ravnikar (07-93) M. Oraen (00-75) M. Sever ( F. Novak (06-59)H. Brni (14-91)M. Tepina (13-04)J. Kruni (15-01)M. upani (14-07)

TENDENCIES

OCCURRENCES




I. Vurnik (84-71)



TOWARDS A SLOVENIAN IDENTITY THE MODERNIST APPROACH A SCANDINAVIAN ARCHITECTURE BREAKING WITH THE PASTCITY IDEOLOGY OF ITS TIMEHOUSING IDEOLOGY



Vurnik-school


Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND

SCANDINAVIAN DESIGNAND NEOFUNCTIONALISM

CONTEMPORARYARCHITECTURE

STRUCTURALARCHITECTURE

DUTCH NEOFUNCTIONALISMNEOFORMALISM

STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM










IKEA





FIRST PREFAB-SYSTEM











O. Wagner (41-18)



V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)




M. Music



TENDENCIES

OCCURRENCES




I. Vurnik (84-71)






Vurnik-school


Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND





STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM










IKEA





FIRST PREFAB-SYSTEM











O. Wagner (41-18)



V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)




M. Music



TENDENCIES

OCCURRENCES




I. Vurnik (84-71)






Vurnik-school


Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND





STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM










IKEA





FIRST PREFAB-SYSTEM











O. Wagner (41-18)



V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)




M. Music



TENDENCIES

OCCURRENCES




I. Vurnik (84-71)






Vurnik-school


Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND





STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM









The Second World War also meant the change from a rural to

an industrial society. People were moving into the city and this

caused a huge housing shortage. The field of interest of post-

war architecture changed from the city centre to the suburbs.

Besides large industrial terrains there are a lot of residential

areas established to house all the workers. To make this happen

as fast and efficiently as possible, two techniques were introduced

by the modernists, standardisation and prefabrication.

Another one of Pleniks students, Edo Mihevc, also embraced

modernism. He designed the workers residential neighbourhood

near Litostroj, a strongly industrialised area founded just after

World War II at the intersection of two important radial roads.

This neighbourhood is a good example of standardisation. The

residential buildings are placed in rows with just enough distance

in between to allow the sunlight to reach every residence. The

approach was very rational, everything was calculated. This

design caused for Mihevc to be thought of as the founder of

Slovenian modernism.

This rational approach soon showed its true colours, the

residences didnt quite reach the appropriate living standards.

In response to the low standard of living and the minimalistic

approach of the existenzminimum, architects like Ilija Arnautovi

sought a way to higher this standard again. The floor plans of

Arnautovi SAVA residential towers offered a spacious feeling

in a small living area. This was possible due to the fact that the

circulation was incorporated in the different rooms, grouped

around a central kitchen and bathroom area. The SAVA tower

typology can be found on various locations throughout the city.

The first prefabricated system used in Ljubljana is the Jugemont

System. This system, also designed by Arnautovi, utilizes heavy

concrete wall structures, which are masked on the faade by an

elegant balcony construction in white steel. Prefabrication was

still in the early stages but the advantages were already apparent,

buildings were erected much faster to compensate the housing

Housing Estate Litostroj Residential Towers Sava Square of the Revolution - Square of the Republic Jugomont System Housing Blocks

The Jugemont System J

Housing Estate Litostroj H

H http://www.flickr.com/photos/56083473@N04/6154316127/in/photostream/, 13.10.22

I http://www.arhitekturni-vodnik.org/en/?object=35&mode=1, 13.10.22

J http://www.arhitekturni-vodnik.org/en/?object=100&mode=1&pic=490&pl=0&o=0&a=0

The SAVA residential towers designed by Milan Mihelic and Ilija Arnautovi I


Scandinavian Inspiration and Structuralist Architecture (1960-1990)

The conservative teachings of Plenik at the faculty of architecture

had to make way for a new reign with the freedom to think, the

Ravnikar-school.

This school, founded by Edo Mihevc and Edvard Ravnikar,

represents a think tank, with not only room for architecture, but

philosophy and art as well. It is based on scientific research,

analyses and syntheses instead of copying the classics, and can

be seen as the starting point of Slovenian modernism. The school

will lead a new generation of architects with a strong ide fixe

for structural engineering and Scandinavian architecture that

will define Ljubljana in the 60s, during times of economical

prosperity.

Due to the economical growth, a good relationship between the

Slovenian architects and the contractors came about. New forms

of prefabrication were established and pre-stressed concrete

emerged, causing the architectural trade to shift towards the

art of engineering. A new architectural language came to life,

brutalism, structural elements were used to create spatial

compositions and as external ornaments, making them the

centrepiece of architectural expression. Some of Ravnikars

students, like Milan Miheli and Savin Sever, are highly proficient

when it comes to brutalism. Every project imaginable was

executed in this structural architecture, from garages, offices

and banks to schools and residential buildings, even entire

neighbourhoods.

The economical growth also made travelling possible. The majority

of architects chose to visit Sweden or other parts of Scandinavia,

E. Ravnikar (07-93) A. Aalto France Ivanek I. Arnautovic (24-09)


which were recommended by the Ravnikar-school. Countries

that, like Yugoslavia, were open to socialist ideas. Functionalism

and rationalism reigned supreme in other parts of Europe, but

Scandinavia focused on the relationship with nature and valued

quality over quantity. (The urban planning strategy of the lobe-city

and the concept of social housing both originated in Scandinavia.)

Strong links were created with Scandinavia and their typologies

in terms of architecture, housing and urban design were adopted.

Exchanges with the University of Ljubljana allowed students to

analyse the well-designed Swedish neighbourhood.

To prove that individual housing doesnt have to be more expensive

than collective housing, France and Marta Ivanek designed the

neighbourhood Murgle. They had both studied in Scandinavia

and dealt with the question of housing culture throughout their

career. During construction, the neighbourhood seemed barren

and repetitive, fit for the socialist middle class. Today, on the other

hand, Murgle is one of the most desirable housing settlements in

Ljubljana, offering a single-family house and a private garden, set

in a green environment.

The housing neighbourhoods alongside the radial roads are built

after the Scandinavian model of the lobe-city. Neighbourhood

BS3 by Ilija Arnautovi is an example where many facilities are

incorporated, some usefull, like a postal office, a bank, a library

and education, other for entertainment, like a bowling alley and

some bars and restaurants. Housing is offered in two typologies,

lower blocks consisting of 4 stories, and towers, consisting of 22

stories. The towers are constructed sculpturally ending in sharp

point, earning them the name the Pencil Towers.

K http://www.arhitekturni-vodnik.org/en/?object=147&mode=1&pic=1623&pl=0&o=0&a=0, 13.10.22

L http://www.arhitekturni-vodnik.org/en/?object=196&mode=1&pic=1598&pl=0&o=0&a=0, 13.10.22


IKEA





FIRST PREFAB-SYSTEM











O. Wagner (41-18)



V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)




M. Music



TENDENCIES

OCCURRENCES




I. Vurnik (84-71)






Vurnik-school


Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND





STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM










IKEA





FIRST PREFAB-SYSTEM











O. Wagner (41-18)



V. ubic (94-46)

P. Behrens (68-40)




M. Music



TENDENCIES

OCCURRENCES




I. Vurnik (84-71)






Vurnik-school


Ravnikar-school

STOCKHOLMKOPENHAGEN

DUSSELDORF

EUROPEWORLD

VIENNA

PRAGUE

PARIS

VIENNA SECESSION

ARTS AND CRAFTS

TRADITIONALISM

MODERNISM

REGIONALISMPOPULISM

NIEUWE ZAKELIJKHEID

DEUTSCHE WERKBUND





STAR ARCHITECTURE

FUNCTIONALISM

BRUTALISM









Murgle housing neighbourhood Stanovanjske stolpnice aka pencil towers in Nove Stoice (BS3)

Housing Estate Murgle K

The pencil towers in BS3 L


50

50

1,81

6736

ika

1500

1500

V/T

inhabitants 1

schools

sport facilities

stores

public space

semi-public space

semi-private space

private gardens

3,21 kmdistance city centre

1967-1972realisation 2

33THE SOCIALIST EXPERIMENT

ika is one of the many

socialist projects in Ljubljana.

Schools and sport facilities

are integrated in the design of

the neighbourhood. Density is

managed by the multi-storey

apartment blocks surrounded

by large green areas providing

play and rest spaces for the

inhabitants. These building

blocks are 3 to 5 storeys higher

than those of tepanjsko naselje.

Unlike tepanjsko naselje the

ground floor apartments are

equipped with private gardens,

each finished of with concrete

slabs.

1 http://www.gis.si/kasper/en/index.html, 14.03.19

2 lecture Anja Planiek, University of Architecture Ljubljana, 13.09.30

A http://www.slovenskenovice.si/crni-scenarij/doma/ljubljana-mladoletnik-padel-iz-12-nadstropja, 14.03.11


Block


After the Second World War a

concentration of housing need,

both in terms of space and time,

demanded effective solutions1.

Planned mass housing, built

for Average Joe and based on a

rational plan model, used time-

saving standardised building

parts. These developments used

both block and tower typology.

A neighbourhood for several

thousands of people was in that

way constructed in a very short

period of time.

These building blocks were

characterized by a diverse class

structure. A doctor or college

professor was living on the

bigger ground floor apartment

while a young couple hired a

smaller apartment on a higher

floor. This changed after the

independence in 1991. A growing

class segregation and socio-

demographic homogenisation

started to develop2.

The legacy of this type of housing

estates is a high quantity of

dwellings that are today in urgent

need for renovation and are often

not adapted to the present needs.

1 BREZAR, M., Housing construction in Slovenia in the past and present in: Urbani izzi, 1995 (6) nr. 2, pp. 98-108

2 URSIC, M., Changing the quality of living and housing mobility in Ljubljana: Increase of social instability in larger housing estates? in: Urbani izziv, 2005 (16) nr. 2, pp. 156-163

2


Supervilla


After the 1950s a couple of

companies started their own

housing-programme for their

employees.

What looks like an oversized

villa actually is a home for

12 families. These photos

show a development of 22

supervillas for Eisenbahn ( the

railroadcompany in Ljubljana).

Nowadays these appartments

are mostly inhabited by children

and grandchildren of the

original employees. Most of

them obtained the apartment

at a favourable rate in 1991.

Neither an individual garden

nor a garage is available for the

inhabitants.

38 Creativity in Collectivity

60

60

1.3. creativity in collectivity

To conclude, the Socio-Political background of Slovenia resulted

in a rich patrimonium of neighboorhoods and housing typologies.

The Socialist experiment was much different from the Communism

of the USSR and this lead to a specific architecture. What binded

the different architects over time was their quest for creativity in

collectivity.

THE ARRIVAL OF CAPITALISM2.

42 BTC

New Function for a Logistic HubBTC was the largest goods and transport centre of Yugoslavia

consisting of multiple rows of 160-meter-long-warehouses,

running along the railway tracks. After the independence of

Slovenia in 1991 and the introduction of the free market, the

site was privatised. The owners covered the railway tracks with

asphalt, converting the site into a vast shopping district, marking

the arrival of capitalism.

Today BTC has around 50.000 visitors a day one third of the

amount that visits the city centre located three kilometres

further.1 No wonder it is so attractive to the public, BTC has

far more to offer than just shopping: an aquapark, a theatre,

a hotel, a beach volley-ball-field, a dentist, a veterinarian, a

language school etc. Most of the activities of BTC are contained

within huge generic boxes which do not permeate any daylight.

Transport between the boxes happens exclusively by car, since

going on foot between the long blank frontages is unpleasant and

even dangerous given the lack of pavements. After nine p.m., BTC

becomes completely desolated, with the exception of the dance-

hall, cinema and casino at the fringe...

2.1. Btc

0 1 km 2 km

Panorama of BTC. A

The location of BTC.

1 Stani I., Municipal Coordination of Brownfield Development: The Case of Partnership martinska in Ljubljana, Presentation on Cobraman Project Conference, Brownfield Regeneration, Poland, 2012.

A http://wiki.upcscavenger.com/wikimedia/panorama-city--129612934/#page=media, 18 14.01.28.

43THE ARRIVAL OF cApITALIsm

The transformation of BTC: from the most important logistic hub of Yugoslavia into the biggest shopping centre of Slovenia. The first dependent on the railway, the second on the ring road.

1951

1991

44 BTC


19 hours at BTCThis photomontage is the result of 19 hours at BTC, from 9 in the

morning when the shops open, till 4 in the night, when the night

club closes. Then BTC becomes completely desolated...

46 BTC

Wide range of Shopping typologiesThe enormous diversity of shops guarantees that one can literally

find anything in the shortest time possible at BTC. The efficiency

is reached by the application of roughly three shopping typologies.

Firstly, there are two hard-core shopping malls. These buildings

are nothing short of being a city within a city, literally having

squares, streets and alleys within a single volume. There is even

a multi-storey car-park attached so that one never has to set foot

outside. The shopping mall makes the rest of the city obsolete.

Secondly there are the converted generic warehouses, surrounded

by surface parking. The main shop is indicated by a screamy

frontage and only a few smaller shops are accommodated in the

long blank sides of the building.

Thirdly, there is even an open-air-market at the fringe of

BTC. The advantage of the last two shopping typologies is the

connection with outside whilst shopping which revives the streets

and gives social control, so that an urban character is obtained.

A fourth shopping typolgy is recently constructed: the tower of

BTC has a comercial base.

B http://www.btc-city.com/ 14.01.28.

C http://www.visitljubljana.com/si/imenik/1826/detail.html 14.01.28.

Shopping mall at BTC. The architecture imitates a historic town center with squares and alleys. B

Fresh fruit and vegetable market at BTC. C

The shopping typology of the converted warehouse. The several shop entrances are indicated by red arrows.


0 m 100 m 200 m 300 m 500 m

Scale 1 : 5000

0 100 m 200 m 400 m

3

4

2

1

48 BTC

Metropolitan VibrancyBTC is a clear-cut case of the Ringcultuur that the Dutch

architect Willem Jan Neutelings identified around European

cities almost 30 years ago.2 After extensive research on the ring

culture in Antwerp, he published an article on the topic covering

a Koolhaasian description of the phenomenon, with a clear tone

of admiration. According to Neutelings, the old city centres with

their medieval structures, are no longer capable of absorbing

the new programme of modern life. City centres have become

merely frozen open-air museums - nostalgic reminiscent of

passed cultures. It is the ring zone were modern mass-culture

is put into practice: concert halls, stadiums, theme parks, plot

gardens, jogging tracks, swimming pools, mass-furniture shops,

expos, congress halls, traffic knots, highways and parking

lots. Neutelings concludes with a paradox: the ring has become

the centre of the contemporary city where work, leisure and

distribution of the mass-culture is performed.

As we strolled inside the historic centre of Ljubljana, we indeed

had the impression that the centre seems to be more of a tourist

attraction then a well-functioning heart. The city centre has a

pleasant town-like charm but not the metropolitan atmosphere

that one would ex

BTC Residence

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