Lace Apartments / OFIS arhitekti
Architect: OFIS arhitekti
Location: Nova Gorica, Slovenia
Design Year: 2006-2007
Construction Year: 2008
Project leaders: Rok Oman & Špela Videčnik
Design Team: Rok Oman, Špela Videčnik, Nejc Batistic, Martina Lipicer, Andrej Gregoric, Katja Aljaz
Client: Kraski zidar, Sezana, Slovenia
Constructed Area: 10.250 sqm including parking
Photographs: Tomaz Gregoric
The location of the apartment block is in the centre of Nova Gorica (population 32.000) – Nova Gorica is situated in the west of Slovenia, adjacent the Slovene – Italian border. It lies 92 meters above sea level. The town has also very specific climate conditions – it is renowned as the hottest town in Slovenia in summer and very strong winds in winter.
The object s positioned on the fixed urban plot 48 x 16m x 5 floors. The formal concept reinstates three-dimensional lace which embraces the volume of the building. Furthermore, the lace is transformed into functional elements – projecting roofs, pergolas, apartment dividing walls, terraces and balconies with loggias. These elements are protecting external spaces and interior of apartments and provide additional privacy to inhabitants.
Sustainability issues:
1. The combination of façade elements – projecting roofs, pergolas, apartment dividing walls, terraces and balconies with loggias function as constant temperature buffer zone to the main living and sleeping areas and protect against sudden weather changes and strong winds.
Additional aluminum shading panels are placed on the outer sides of the winter loggias and balconies.
2. The service and communication spaces are reduced to minimum thus the daylight is provided on the shafts. The monthly basic energetic and service costs are very low; so also economic for the habitants.
-
- site plan
-
- level 01 plan
-
- level 02 plan
-
- level 03 plan
-
- level 04 plan
-
- level 05 plan
-
- roof level plan
-
- east elevation
-
- south & north elevations
-
- west elevation
-
- section 01
-
- section 02
-
- section 03
-
- terraces layers
-
- embracing lace concept
Related articles:
16 comments »
wow, this is horrible
concept is very bad and bljak.
To two comments before me: Am I looking at the same building??? Without “big words and essays” I must simply say that to me this building is truly beautiful. Also the concept is really innovative.
This building lacks a concept, a vision that judges all decisions in the design process. This is just a ridicoulous design, without any architectural value.
Sledge hammer!
Geez! Some of the comments here and on other projects sound like snobby architecture students. Unlike all the other apartment buildings seen in Arch Daily or other mags, this building at the very least is dynamically articulated and uses more interesting colors . It’s not made up of flat, offset boxes…This project gets my vote.
This is a builing made from the outside to the inside..For this reason I would like you to look at the plans and see it for yourself. Look how many squre meters are waisted to make this useless facade. Huge terraces insted of living areas. And please take a close look also how BADLY the apartaments are designed. And at the end you have to pay 2500eur/m2 for this.
common…THIS IS SIMPLY AN ARCHITECTURE WHICH WANTS TOO END UP BEING IN ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINE!!!And for what? for its oustide look.
good concept and attractive building result.
I agree with “vision”. Some comments are made or from frustrating architects who are sitting and do nothing or from pompous students like “Rafa” said
funny..eating waffle ends up in wc. This is a good example of where architecture is heading this century. Throw in a bit of pattern & color…that’ll do. At least it’ll brighten up the east blok.
Sorry, but all who say this is horrible are blind loosers with no style. This is beautiful piece of architecture, innovative and elegant. Ofis Arhitekti are really tallented designers, they have their own, unique style which is different but great and thats the point!!! Better go praise those postmodern rat-traps and try to study world architecture a bit, JDR, Faux Chinchilla and so on…
eclectic
in a bad way
Agree with Richard Skinner. Design is very original and unique.
I checked the opus of OFIS and I am really impressed and motivated in my work.
I don’t like it !
Well, it looks like no one is ever going to satisfy everyone with whatever design they produce. The arch-snobs on this and other blogs always comment negatively about projects like this while praising the same Superficiality, poor colors, poor lighting, poor space planning AND poor environmental quality produced by starchitects. All they [starchitects] do is “Design” and make cool forms but the building never ends up functioning properly or they leak or what ever bad consequence results from the design they produce. The comments are often made out of context as well and never merit the project based on it’s setting or the issue they has to deal with.
i think architects were brave to go this way.. i think they can see all mistakes they made now..in my opinion the funcional scheme is ok, but facades..are.. irritating..pure neighbours..Colors are nice, but sometimes less is realy better than more.. The volume could be more dynamic, but this building will become a real dominant of a quarter for sure!
This indeed is an original piece of work. The embracing lace concept seems to have gone well through the design development process to produce something which is not mere repetition but unique for its style.
Much hard work in this. Bravo.
i’m not sure about the emphasized verticality in the striped colors. I’m imagining myself liking it more with a monochromatic scheme, or maybe a gradient that doesn’t make me think of halloween. But i still love the architecture.