CENTER STAREJŠIH TRNOVO V LJUBLJANI

LOCATION
Ljubljana, Slovenija

CLIENT
Public housing fund ot the City of Ljubljana
DEOS d.d.

PROJECT YEAR
competition 2006 - 1st Prize
project 2007 - 2008
construction 2008 - 2009

ARCHITECTURE OFFICE
Ravnikar - Potokar arhitekturni biro d.o.o.

COMPETITION TEAM
Robert Potokar, Sabina Colnar, Ajdin Bajrović, Mateja Šetina, Carlos Graca

PROJECT TEAM
Robert Potokar, Sabina Colnar, Petra Slukan

PROJECT OF INTERIOR DESIGN
Robert Potokar, Sabina Colnar, Petra Slukan

PHOTOS
Robert Potokar, Andraž Kavčič, Peter Krapež

The Trnovo Senior Centre stands on the site of a former hospital, in a central location close to the city centre. To the north, views open towards the two towers of Trnovo Church, Ljubljana Castle and the Kamnik–Savinja Alps, while to the south they extend towards Plečnik’s monument, with Mount Krim in the background.

The Senior Centre is programmatically divided into three components: a residential care home for the elderly, assisted-living apartments, and public facilities. The primary architectural motif of the care home is a pure volume with a flat, clearly defined cornice. The side façades are solid, articulated by recessed window openings and niches. The east and west façades, inserted into the volume, are more open and articulated by coloured cubic elements.

In contrast, the assisted-living building is more enclosed towards the east and the busy Riharjeva Street. Vertical window openings and loggias are carved into the façade envelope. The northern and southern façades open up in the form of frames, directing and framing views of the surrounding landscape.

The interior is conceived as a sequence of horizontal circulation spaces, repeatedly widened and interrupted by communal areas. These spaces serve not merely as passages, but also as places for social interaction and encounters.