HOME FOR ELDERLY LIVADE IZOLA

LOCATION
Izola, Slovenija

COMPETITION YEAR
July 2025

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

ARCHITECTURE
Robert Potokar, Vasja Potokar, Mina Gutović, Ajdin Bajrović, Mateja Šetina, Tanja Košuta, Janez Brežnik, Javier Carrera Arias, Erika Sirotić

PRIZE
3rd Prize

The exceptionally interesting location of the new nursing home in Livade, Izola, is defined by a number of distinct qualities: its immediate proximity to the green belt of the pine-tree avenue, the sea, its southern orientation, and its relationship with the former railway line, now transformed into the Parenzana cycling route. Together, these conditions make the site both highly distinctive and spatially demanding.

The urban and architectural concept therefore derives directly from the genius loci – from the specific qualities of the site itself, the triangular geometry of the plot, its orientation towards the cardinal directions, the programme, and above all the ambition to provide views from the rooms, corridors and terraces. The rooms of the nursing home are oriented towards sunlight wherever possible, facing south, east and west. Rather than adopting a single compact volume, the building is therefore divided into two tower-like volumes with U- and V-shaped configurations, visually reducing its perceived urban scale.

The scale of the new development is thus calibrated to the existing residential towers along Prešernova cesta, establishing a direct dialogue with them both in terms of architectural presence and the colour expression of their façades.

The two towers are positioned upon a programme-rich ground-floor podium, which is partially set below ground level to allow direct connections between the various functions of the nursing home. The two towers are also connected programmatically at first-floor level, while on the upper three floors they remain volumetrically distinct. Each tower is nevertheless connected to the ground floor and basement through its own independent vertical circulation core.