Architects: Arhitektura d.o.o.
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Architect in Charge: Peter Gabrijelčič, Boštjan Gabrijelčič, Aleš Gabrijelčič
Project Year: 2015
The national Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO) is one of the oldest museum for architecture and design in Europe, established in 1972. The museum collects, stores, studies and presents material from these creative areas at temporary and permanent exhibitions.The Museum collection comprises different objects, from plans, sketches, and models for buildings to various kinds of furniture, small objects, instruments andappliances, posters, other printed materials, and photographs. Almost all the prominent Slovene architects and designers from the twentieth century, as well as many photographers, are represented in the museum’s holdings, totalling more than 1,000 artists altogether.
The Museum is located in an old Reinassance castle on the outskirts of the city of Ljubljana. Due to the lack of resources the castle has never been completly renovated. In 2015 our office was approached by the director of the Museum to finish the renovation, ensure the project for energy efficiency rehabilitation of the building and to locate a space for a multi-purpose hall.
The idea of the project is to encorproate the new addition within the old building’s central yard, however in a way that the artistic purity of the yard was retained. This was ensured by introducing a completly transaprent volume, which would envelope the new hall. The new ‘box’ is designed in a way which can allow complete opening of its interior to the exterior in the summer months, thus retain an old yard as a whole.
