stolpnica_odsev_v_svetlobniku

Renovation of the Maximarket Plaza and its underground passage

YEAR

2007

LOCATION

Ljubljana, Slovenia

CATEGORY

BUILT FACILITIES

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Miha Kerin, Majda Kregar

SHARE PROJECT
ravnikar ljubljana ravnikar ljubljana _KAM9543-2 pogled_skozi_svetlobnik stolpnica_odsev_v_svetlobniku
  • YEAR : 2007
  • LOCATION : Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • CATEGORY : BUILT FACILITIES
  • CREATIVE DIRECTOR : Miha Kerin, Majda Kregar

 

The situation before the renovation – 30 years since its construction

The plaza’s pavement was leaking and soaking the passage underneath, thin pavement stone slabs were broken, and passageways for people with disabilities had to be built. The low concrete walls and planters were damaged, defaced with graffiti and subsequently painted grey, and in some spots reinforcement bars had become exposed.

The underground shopping passage had been chaotically overhauled by some changing shop renters; often the retrofitted installations traversed the passage in a most conspicuous way.

 

The renovation

The plaza was freshly insulated in its entirety, stone pavement slabs are thicker now, the exposed concrete surfaces were repaired by water sanding while more serious damage was treated with the material of the same structure as the original concrete. The ramps for people with disabilities were seamlessly integrated into the existing structures by means of the low walls identical to the existing ones designed by prof. Ravnikar.

The most complicated work in the shopping passage was removing some subsequently installed ducts and devices, such as power distribution boxes, and then replacing and distributing them invisible.

The uniformity of the ceiling was achieved by replacing the unsustainable chip wood lamellae with glued laminated timber.

The shops had smooth ceilings with built-in air conditioning installed, and the heating along the cylindrical pane socles was restored. The different floorings in the shops were also replaced with stone.

The only liberty permitted was with the skylights in the plaza above the shopping passage. The 28 existing domes obstructing the pedestrian movement were replaced by eight larger glass rectangular skylights, which also serve as benches on the plaza.