Renovation of a Baroque Ensemble in Ljubljana
- Andreas Gabriel
The brief called for the refurbishment of three buildings making up a baroque ensemble at the foot of Ljubljana’s Castle Hill. The architects inserted a new all-glass facade that sheathes three sides of the courtyard and ties the ensemble together. All three buildings belong to a publishing house that had used some of the spaces above a ground-floor bookshop as its offices. Following a 1980s renovation the courtyard housed, among other things, building-services installations. This most recent intervention connects the three buildings: the upper levels contain twelve apartments surrounding the courtyard. The baroque facades along the street – which are on the historic registry – were restored to their original state; one of the old entrances and an existing stair were incorporated in the circulation concept. The existing roof structure has been replaced by one that employs steel beams. The project enhances the role of the central courtyard as new communication space; this internal garden ensures that the apartments receive ample fresh air and light. The glazed post-and-rail facade – its profiles are positioned on the side facing the interiors – reveals the period elements within. Stone arches and columns that came to light during the refurbishment became key components of the interiors. The varying density of the silver-toned fritting on the glass calibrates the relationship between transparency and reflection.
