Type
culture

Source
invited competition, selected project

Client
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia

Address/Site
Prešernova cesta 24, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Site area
1.140 m2

Building area
1.650 m2

Total floor area
11.050 m2

Program
main entrance to the gallery with Robba fountain, shop, reception area as a city terrace, conection to the exhibition rooms

Structure
steel frames, prefabricated hi bond plates

Cladding
structural glazing, neutral glass façade, translucent glass roof

Architect
SADAR+VUGA (Jurij Sadar, Boštjan Vuga, Peter Šenk, Milan Tomac, Simona Muc, Tadej Žaucer)

Photos
Hisao Suzuki, Bojan Salaj, Ramon Prat

What was involved in this project was the linkage of two existing National Gallery buildings, and the development of a place for the monumental Robba fountain, as well as an independent place for the museum’s public events (openings, meetings).

The project eliminates the indeterminate distance between the two buildings, deemed to be absurd and irrational.

It represents an indipendent solution that works even if this distance were different.

Inspired by Issey Miyake’s “folded tubes”, the building’s structure consists of an alignment of parallel porticoes with varying geometry.

These porticoes have many different functions. They support the roof and the curtain façade, as well as the various networks and systems: electricity, lighting, ventilation, heating.The completely glazed extention comes across like see-through interface between park and city. Set in the Prešernova Street axis, it affords a monumental entrance to the museum.