2009
Ljubljana, Slovenia
RECONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION
Edo Ravnikar jr., Majda Kregar, Miha Kerin
The Ljubljana Castle lapidary is a part of a new subterranean public connecting space of the castle complex, which gradually came into being in the course of the renovation. It enriches the programmes and historical testimony of the castle.
Building anti-seismic foundations for the cracked courtyard facing sections with Corten steel supporting pillars set on the rocky ground, the simultaneous removing of the rubble inside the ramparts (dating back to when the courtyard sections were constructed), and the archaeological investigations and finds related to the earlier periods of the smaller Spanheim castle, brought about the idea of presenting and putting to use this new, interesting space.
A space was created for presenting well-preserved, undamaged, buried inner structures of the rampart as well as the archaeological remains of the castle’s earlier stages. The area is adapted to the bedrock terrain and its varying levels as well as the shapes of the sections above it. This is how a picturesque, cohesive, multi-purpose subterranean space around the central service area was created. The service area is sunken into the archaeologically sterile terrain and allows for covered access to most castle sections. It is also connected to the funicular, providing access to the castle from Krekov Square.