Year 2009
Location Ljubljana, Slovenia
Typology Urban design
Scale 5 ha / 60.000 m2
Status Competition entry
Authors Mateja Volgemut/Miha Volgemut/Gašper Mohorič
The point of departure for this proposal is open and highly linked space, which will become the new center of Podutik settlement. The design of the new neighborhood does not approach space with objects intervention but follows the physiognomy and potentials of public areas. They should link, open and attract broader context. For this effect we designed public plateau, which is the twin feature of park and square, while axes of Kozakova street define their »spine”, so it becomes linking element between roads, playgrounds, plateaus and programs. The public square becomes also a zone for slowing down the transit traffic, with the purpose to set the conditions for urbanity, which means greater mixture of different flows.
Continuous surface of the park through the entire settlement’s space enables free movement between plateaus in all directions, while dispersion of building structures creates greater visual and physical porosity of the urban space. The dynamics of the park is created with its agitated surface and also with its strong connection with the square; in this interaction emerges the whole social world: there are plateaus, terraces, stairs, galleries, views, that support concerts, projections, exhibitions, market place, coffee shops, restaurants etc. The twin of park and square is therefore the node of all flows in the space and therefore dynamic and heterogeneous social center of Podutik.