Enota has been awarded first prize for the renovation of the Dominican Monastary into a Performance Center located in the western most part of the historical center of Ptruj, Slovania on the embankment of the Dvara River.
More images and description after the break.
Ptruj is a old Slovanian city steeped in layers of history beginning in antiquity. The Dominican Monastary, around which the proposal rests, represents the history of the city between the periods of the Middle Ages and the interventions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The proposal by Enota takes very strong consideration of the character of the old city, especially the division and transition of public, semi-public, semi-private and private spaces. As the Dominican Monastary exemplifies, the public space around the building absorbs the character of the architecture, inviting users and outsiders alike to engage the public space as an extension of the architecture. The atrium, on the otherhand, is the outdoor interiority of the building and is a semi-private space belonging to the users of the building. Enota has taken the public areas that surround the monastary as a means to improve the function and accessibility of this space and positively impac t the city’s appearance. While the public areas are allowed to develop organically, the interior atriums can be filled with programs that have been lacking within the city, as determined by the architects.
The existant monastary atrium will be glazed over to include the cloister, allowing this newly developed foyer to be the host for many functions for the new cultural center. This approach honors the original purpose of such a space. In order to create this space as open and transparent as possible, Enota has developed a folded glass surface that requires a small amount of suspension elements with the fewest visual obstructions. The folded surface operates to create additional ambient light thereby illuminating new surfaces and allowing for the utilization of existing attic space.
The public spaces that surround the building will have many urban functions for passerby and visitors to the buidling. The area in front of the entrance to the former monastary gardens will consist of a city park with terraced surfaces, allowing for it to be used for various outdoor events. This space is partially enclosed by the city walls and the buildings. The terraced surfaces are formed organically in order to be consistent with the irregualr edges of the surrounded buildings and the existing levels of vegetation. This space has many uses including theatrical performances, banquets, and music concerts.
Architect: Enota Client: Ptuj Municipality Location: Ptuj, Slovenia Program: Ptuj Performance Center Type: invited competition, first prize Area: 6,111 m2 Project Status: In progress Year: 2010 Project Team: Dean Lah, Milan Tomac, Alja Černe, Maruša Zupančič, Petra Ostanek, Nebojša Vertovšek
