Children’s department and Work therapy / dans arhitekti

Architects: dans arhitekti
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Project team: Miha Desman, Katarina Pirkmajer Desman, Rok Bogataj, Eva Fiser Berlot, Vlatka Ljubanovic
Collaborators: Vesna Drnovsek, Luka Mladenovic, Nina Savnik, Veronika Ule
Building Physics: Peter Zargi
Statics: Franc Zugel
Electrical Engineer: Sebastjan Zelko
Mechanical Engineer: Franc Peperko
Quantity Engineer: Irena Bele
Graphics: Natasa Skusek
Project year: 2004-2006
Construction Year: 2008
Photographs: dans arhitekti and Miran Kambic

The Institute complex was designed between 1954 and 1962 by architect Danilo Kocjan, who envisioned low and elongated buildings, characteristic of Scandinavia, in a planted environment. The new building with the children’s unit on the ground floor and the vocational rehabilitation unit on the first floor keeps in with the pavilion-like design. It is linked with the existing complex by means of the interjacent middle part housing the lifts.

The building itself has a rectangular floor plan with an internal atrium. The corridors and halls are well-lit and interesting. Along the sides of the atrium and the corridors, there are living spaces that open outwards into the exterior space with their wooden terraces. The large windows of the rooms and other spaces overlook the old park with the large trees, which have been retained despite the park’s having been reduced in area.

The building fits organically into the planted environment. The basic facade, made of fibre cement panels with a smooth finish, is white with large horizontal window apertures and a rhythm of vertical yellow accents made of corrugated panels.