A monument to all wars in the centre of Ljubljana
Year of construction: 2014
Project group: Urška BERTOK, Katja MARTINČIČ, Anja PLANIŠČEK, Saša REGORŠEK, Matej DELAK, Gašper MEDVEŠEK
The task of constructing a monument in the proposed solution, in addition to its substantive premise, was a commitment to its location within the urban space. The siting of the monument is in the centre of Ljubljana, in the gap between the series of buildings by the Zvezda Park, the conceptual location of Plečnik’s Južni trg and many subsequent urban solutions.
This solution retains the open space and is limited in its arrangement in relationship to the ground. The area is refashioned into an open public space, intended for use as a place of commemoration and at the same time connecting the people – for everyday encounters, socialising, and relaxation. It is designed as a surface area at the end of the cross axis of Kongresni trg and Zvezda Park, and is split into multiple sections: a monument in the form of a floor structure, a platform for placing wreaths and commemoration, and a platform to the side of Kazina. Despite this division, the space retains a sense of openness and emptiness, which are the essential characteristics of the suggested architectural design. The emptiness in the background and on the eastern side is enclosed by a tall, green wall – a curtain of climbing plants, which conceals the neglected façades of the surrounding houses. Almost the entire area is paved with granite cubes. With its mesh structure, it represents the framework for organising and shaping the space.
