© Miran Kambič

Architects: APlan
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Client: MABRA engineering
Design Team: Darko Lečnik APLAN team for the business portion and Rafael Draksler with the ARHITEKA team for the residential portion
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 60,000 sqm
Photographs: Miran Kambič

Following the Competition at the end of 2006, the investor MABRA engineering entrusted the author of the winning elaborate, Lečnik Darko, with the planning of the project, who, along with his team APLAN d.o.o. and colleague Rafael Draksler with the team ARHITEKA d.o.o., began drawing up projects for the business and residential facility DUNAJSKI KRISTALI.

© Miran Kambič

The business and residential complex is located in the most attractive location for business and residential activity in the city. The crossroads of the city entrance road Dunajska and city ring road provides the best possible connection to all directions leading in and out of the city. The city entrance road is going through a transformation with suburban architecture enabling way to new business, hotel and residential complexes, giving the road an entirely new look.

Situation

The area is very diverse in the northeast meeting with the fields and individual slopes of the Ljubljana plain while in the north it borders the northern bypass service road to the city where high-rise commercial buildings are located. The area possesses quality views of the Kamnik Alps to the north, Julian Alps to the west and Posavje hills to the east.

© Miran Kambič

The design of the disposition of buildings comprises spaces between the objects in the direction of the Sava River. It follows the principle of a proper urban network, installed in space so as to take advantage of the quality views for all housing facilities as well as the business section of the newly constructed area.

Section & Plans

Parallel cubes comprising business stories are located above the ground floor along the service road, continuing the pattern of the southern bypass buildings planning scheme and at the same time, defining further residential expansion to the north. The planning growth principle for the northern side of the city has thereby been transferred to the other side of the bypass, representing continuity and, at the same time, the end of the city.

© Miran Kambič

The residential buildings located behind the ground floor of the business building are thus protected from emissions from the bypass road with noise from roads rebounding from the smooth, glass transversal facades of the higher business facilities and spreading towards the residential apartments by interference. The solution comprises nets used on the facades of commercial buildings which disperse noise and protect the glass parts of the facade against direct sunlight. The residential buildings have south-oriented glass walls for solar heating in the winter. The glass walls are covered with shutters in the summer.

© Miran Kambič

As regards traffic, all external surfaces are intended for pedestrians only. Only emergency vehicles have access to the front entrance. Municipal waste is collected in a designated space along the main promenade area by communal workers. Delivery to business premises and bars or stores is implemented underground in the garage areas. The majority of parking places are located on the underground floors. The entire business section with a gross area of buildings on the service road of 19,000 sqm has 550 parking spaces while the residential area comprising 100 residential units has 275 parking spaces available.

Rendering

The consistent design following the principle that traffic is not a part of the exterior disposition and that it must stay at the level of underground garage ensures the quality of residential space, both in terms of reduced impact of emissions and noise. Given the location alongside the bypass one would expect greater saturation with emissions, but in reality the residential part is less exposed to noise because it is protected by the business part with its grandeur and mass alone and with several innovative solutions, such as net-like sun breakers which contribute significantly to reducing reverberation.

Rendering

The urban layout of the objects in space also exploits orientation, which is especially important for economical functioning and rational use of energy. The buildings are west-east orientated. Vedutas are envisaged to the north while the south side is glazed and on sunny winter days, offers additional heating – through active solar power. In summer, the glass surface is protected against the strong sun with movable shutters to prevent overheating of the premises.

Text Provided by APlan