Congress Centre Brdo / Bevk Perović arhitekti

Architect: Bevk Perović arhitekti
Location: Kranj, Slovenia
Project Team: Matija Bevk, Vasa J. Perović, Andrej Ukmar
Project year: 2006 – 2007
Construction year: 2006 – 2007
Client: JGZ Brdo
Floor Area: 10,200 sqm
Photographs: Miran Kambič

Congress Centre Brdo, built on the occasion of Slovenian Presidency of the European Union, is located in the Brdo compound, a medieval castle complex formerly belonging to Yugoslav royal family, 20 kilometers from Ljubljana. The new building is set in the beautiful greenery, part of the protected natural forest.

Building is conceived as a low glass pavilion which by no means reveals its representative purpose and leaves the primary role to nature. The volume of Congress Centre Brdo follows the outlines of existing old service building of the castle from which the congress centre is distanced by a stone platform.

The entrance into the glass pavilion is discreetly marked by the cut out volume on the eastern side of the building. The interior is organized as space for open communication – the ground floor functions as reception area that can stage different events, press conferences, receptions, meetings and exhibition. The large double-height congress hall, the heart of the pavilion, is inserted in the centre of the building. It is entirely clad in perforated oak panels that create warm atmosphere of the entire complex.

The first floor houses open and flexible office spaces which are enclosed by transparent glass panels, some of them face the cut-out patio space in the middle of the building.

Transparency is the main feature of the whole building, facade made of two layers of glass has minimum reflection and therefore optimal visual connection with nature. Park with its greenery thus becomes part of the interior and a scenography for all the events taking place in the building.