RENOVATION OF HISTORIC CENTRE - CASTRA IN AJDOVŠČINA

LOCATION
Ajdovščina, Slovenija

COMPETITION YEAR
January 2017

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

ARCHITECTURE
Robert Potokar, Ajdin Bajrović, Matej Fornazarič, Primož Žitnik,
Javier Carrera, Anja Patekar, Jernej Borko

PRIZE
1st Prize

The competition area encompasses the design of open public spaces within the Castrum area of Ajdovščina, with particular emphasis on the main Lavričev trg square and the access routes leading to it, primarily Prešernova and Gregorčičeva Streets, as well as Šibeniška, Stritarjeva and Vilharjeva Streets. The wider competition area also includes proposals for the improvement of outdoor spaces and the revitalisation of the existing built fabric.

Ajdovščina has a strong historical and spatial identity, making it essential that new interventions integrate subtly into the existing urban fabric. The proposed interventions are therefore largely anonymous in character, with a restrained authorial approach that resonates with the Roman urban layout, the preserved and presented Roman ruins, and the renovation carried out by architect Svetozar Križaj in the 1960s.

The underlying concept enables the town centre to evolve into a contemporary urban core, with interventions that support a more harmonious coexistence between residents living in the historic centre and visitors arriving for shopping, cultural events and other activities, as well as tourists. The overall competition proposal aims to create a well-organised and functional urban environment with a contemporary character that remains firmly grounded in the site’s historical context.

Particular attention was devoted to Lavričev trg, the most important catalyst for change within the town. The design draws on contemporary principles of the shared-space approach—a public realm intended for a variety of uses and users, designed to allow its function to evolve and adapt to changing needs and activities over time.