ROŠKA URBAN PLANNING PROJECT
LOCATION
Ljubljana, Slovenija
COMPETITION YEAR
November 2020
ARCHITECTURE OFFICE
Ravnikar - Potokar arhitekturni biro d.o.o.
ARCHITECTURE
Ajdin Bajrović, Matej Fornazarič, Robert Potokar, Mina Gutović, Viktorija Bogdanova, Klara Netrefova
The development of the Roška site brings together three distinct programmes that are spatially separated yet conceptually interconnected: the programme of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (ALUO), the programme of the Secondary School of Design and Photography (SŠOF), and a student residence.
The spatial organisation of these three programmes within the former Roška military barracks is defined by several existing spatial conditions: the longitudinal axis connecting the Ljubljanica, the Gruber Canal and Golovec; Strupijevo nabrežje; and the existing wings of the former barracks, which establish the transversal north–south axis. The new buildings are positioned in dialogue with the existing urban fabric and, wherever possible, with the existing landscape structure and tree avenues. Each building is given its own associated outdoor space, while these spaces remain mutually connected to form a coherent landscape system.
Among the three new buildings, the Academy becomes the primary element and is therefore positioned at the central point of the site. Its configuration derives directly from the geometry of the former barracks, whose two existing wings determine the grounded volumes of the Academy – conceived as a pair of architectural “legs” supporting a symbolic bridge containing the main programme above.
The U-shaped configuration of the former barracks is thus translated from the horizontal into the vertical. The western wing establishes a relationship with Roška cesta and the volume of the Secondary School of Economics, while the eastern wing responds to the existing eastern barracks wing. Between the two “legs”, a multifunctional covered space is created, articulated by a series of light wells that bring daylight down into the lower level.
The Academy is complemented by a green forecourt extending into the existing park on the northern side. At the same time, this space remains part of the public urban park, where sculptures created by Academy students are integrated among the existing trees. The entire outdoor area is conceived as a form of forma viva – an open-air space for artistic production and presentation, intended not only for ALUO students but also for the students of SŠOF.
The secondary school building is positioned parallel to the existing Secondary School of Economics. It is organised across three levels and composed of two interconnected linear wings. The western wing withdraws from the economic school while maintaining a parallel geometry, whereas the eastern wing is diagonally cut by the north–south spatial axis derived from the geometry of the former barracks.
Where the Academy building is firmly anchored to the ground, the secondary school is deliberately elevated, allowing views and pedestrian movement to pass beneath it. Its own outdoor forecourt is established on the eastern side, aligned with the axis of the existing tree avenue.
The student residence, with its residential programme, is positioned alongside the existing housing blocks along Strupijevo nabrežje. In principle, it continues their urban morphology, which opens out in a fan-like configuration towards the Gruber Canal. The building comprises a transparent ground floor accommodating shared communal programmes and three upper levels of student accommodation.
Its external forecourt is formed along the existing access route of Kapusova cesta, where the intervention establishes a new tree-lined landscape setting and strengthens the continuity of the existing green structure.
All three buildings are conceived as contemporary architecture with a strong emphasis on transparency and openness, allowing daylight to penetrate as deeply as possible into their interiors. Their design seeks to make full use of available passive and active energy potentials while maintaining a high degree of energy efficiency.
Within their respective floor plans, the buildings are designed for maximum flexibility, allowing programmes, spatial configurations and modes of use to evolve over time without requiring fundamental changes to the architectural structure.
