urban palimpsest
The spatial concept of the new building on Erjavčeva Street in Ljubljana is derived from three spatial elements that materialize the memory of the demolished Villa Bahovec and articulate the open public space of the city at the end of the axis of Ravnikar´s Trg republike square. The slender building volume defines the edge of the public space between Gregorčičeva and Erjavčeva and leaves an open passage from Trg republike square. The new plinth defines the border between public and semi-public space and materializes the perimeter of the demolished villa. The residential volume floating above the plinth follows the heights and facade lines of the surrounding buildings.
The architectural design of the building establishes a platform with a staircase and a ramp that runs along the park and connects to the existing staircase in front of the Majde Vrhovnik Elementary School. The platform creates the character of a high ground floor, under which there is a basement with parking and service areas. From Erjavčeva street the ground floor descends slightly into the public program (e.g. gallery) between the perimeter walls, which follow the line of the perimeter walls of the former Villa Bahovec. Via ramp, the ground floor rises to a platform from which we enter the residential part of the building, which comprises 4 floors and a public program on the platform level (e.g. a bookstore). The division of the building volume into two staggered lamellas oriented north-south enables a favorable orientation of the rooms to the east and west and the division of the floor plan into additional mezzanines. The apartments consist of a living room and two mezzanines with bedrooms. Mezzanines enable greater utilization of the building volume and flexibility of apartment types by maintaining the floor plan.
