Type
infrastructure, culture, education

Source
EPK25 GO!

Client
MONG

Address/Site
Nova Gorica, Slovenia; Gorizia, Italy

Site area
160.000 m2

Participants
SADAR+VUGA
Mestna občina Nova Gorica
Slovenske železnice
Nomago
Univerza Noga Gorica
Evropsko združenje za teritorialno sodelovanje
BAN Architetti

In 2025 the European Capital of Culture will be hosted by Slovenia and Germany. The Slovenian capital of culture will be represented by Nova Gorica and Gorizia – GO! 2025.

“The European Capital of Culture GO! 2025, with the slogan GO! BORDERLESS is a story in which past memories and visions of the future are mixed to materialize in an effective cultural strategy that will contribute to improving the quality of life of the citizens of the entire border area. Nova Gorica and Gorizia share the same commitment: divided by conflicts in the past, but united in the present by friendship and intense cooperation, the two cities have set themselves the ambitious goal of becoming a cross-border European Capital of Culture.”

Project brief and development scenarios are the product of workshops, presentations and dialogues that took place in May and June 2021 between representatives of SADAR + VUGA, Municipality of Nova Gorica (MONG), EPK25 GO!, Slovenian Railways, Nomago bus carrier, University of Nova Gorica, EGTC and the architecture bureau Carmelo Baglivo, which is the winner of the “Piazza Transalpina” 2020 competition. The scenarios are the basis for the future design activities in the area, and the next steps which are necessary in order to implement the spatial aspect EPK25 GO!

The contact area between Gorizia and Nova Gorica – the border area that separated the cities, is an area with high development potential that can connect two cities, two regions and two countries. With an emphasis on culture, science, technology, art and new forms of mobility, the border area of ​​the two countries becomes a unique space with content that is not present in the city today. EPK25 GO! is the momentum of development of this area. The project brief deals with a new gravitational center for the both cities, and it provides different possibilities and continuous development even after 2025 through the potential of its location.

The appointed area stretches 1.5 km along the Slovenian-Italian border and covers 16Ha, at a distance of 1.5 km from the center of Nova Gorica and 2.5 km from the center of Gorizia. The spatial aspect proposes the division of the area into 6 vital parts: the train station building, Piazza Transalpina, Kolodvorska road, railway tracks, the footbridge / pasarela overpass over the tracks, and the western part of Majske Poljane.