The Invisible Bridge by Tarek J. Waked

ghost client/ the invisible bridge / laibach / 2017/ tarek j. waked

@All rights reserved under International Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copying, recording or by any information storage retrieval system, without permission in written form of the @All rights reserved under International publisher or specific copyright owners. Work Copyright and publication No are part madeofduring the course of a be Conventions. this publication may personal master dissertation project, within the reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic project of 'The Ghost or mechanical, including photo-copying, recording Client' of Ypres / Ljubljana

or by any information storage retrieval system, without permission in written form of the publisher Title or specific copyright owners. Work and publication Invisible Bridge: anthe architectural are made during course of tale a personal master in three acts (the case of Laibach) dissertation project, within the project of 'The Ghost Client' Ypres. by Tarekof J. Waked Title Acknowledgement (By alphabetical order) Special thanks to Barbara A Strategy for the Urban Fringe Hrovat and her daughter Julia, Marko Drpic, Olja The Case IeperJanez Novak, Jurij Sadar and Grubic, AnaofKrec, the students in his studio, Petra Varl, Nejc Vodeb, by Louis Besner Matej Vozlic, Editta Zelolepo, Petja Zorec... ...Acknowledgement and Gisèle Gantois and Spela Hudnik for their trust and support.

Special thanks to Sandrine Coorevits, coordinator of the future Ieper Museum for her help and to GisèleGantois Gantois for her support. Gisèle Academic Promotor

Academic Promotor International Master of Architecture KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture campus SintLucas Gisèle Gantois Gent Master Dissertation 2017 ‘‘The Ghost Client’’

International Master of Architecture KU Leuven, Faculty of Architecture campus SintLucas Gent Master Dissertation 2017 ‘‘The Ghost Client’’

the invisible bridge an architecture tale in three acts 'used , abused and amused'

- Excerpts from the first open interview TJW: What is the economy of Ljubljana currently based on? JN: The city is employing most of its man power in the touristic sector and microbusiness activities. The government is focusing on aiding these businesses because they represent a big number of people seeking employment, as well as satisfy local needs out of local materials and provide alternatives. TJW: How did the end of Yugoslavia affect the economy of Slovenia? JN: The local guy who is restoring furniture and making small unique designs suddenly mattered again. Slovenian designers set up shop in the city center because they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sell in big volumes and thus take advantage of their location in the center to have a bigger exposure. TJW: Does production matter within the city? JN: The big industries are becoming aligned with the concept of automation, and so the smaller business are decent alternative models for employment opportunities to the worker that is being replaced by robotics. TJW: What is the core direction the city is headed for? JN: They want to be a green capital, focusing on tourism and sustainability. The main measure is closing a street for traffic every year. It started with the three bridges and now we have a vast area dedicated to pedestrians and cyclers. The gained spaces are utilized for new urban activities. This lifestyle appeals to a lot of travelers and locals, such as artists, start-up owners and nightlife dwellers, but chases others away, like families who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t arrive to their doorsteps in the cars... [TO BE CONTINUED]

foreword

Author: Misko Kranjec

Nisem dovolj bogat, da bi kupoval poceni stvari

Ik ben niet rijk genoeg om het goedkoop te kopen

I am not rich enough that I would buy cheap

Author: August Berthold

INDEX:

Statement Research question Act I: Used - Guilds and Glory - Open Interviews - - Producers - - Users - - Re-users Participation / Photography / Collages Act II: Abused - Urban Comparison - Utopic visions of the city - Interview with an Architect(s) Act III: Amused - The Site - The Strategy - The Design Bibliography

All the collages are executed by yours truly with Scissors and Magazines

invisible bridge

ghost client

statement

conscious fetish Throughout the history of producing tools and technology, especially since the industrial revolution, the whole process of evolution has been a process of affording different functionalities: the wheel extends our foot, the phone extends our voice, the television extends our eyes and ears, the computer extends the brain, and electronic media extends the nervous system In our current society, Marshall McLuhan’s auto-amputation of the technological man have paved the path to substitutions: workers are replaced by robotics and automated manufacturing, as our fascination for the machine grows stonger... ... and Mass Media markets replace the religions of the past. According to the theory of commodity fetishism, presented in Karl Marx's Das Kapital, we only see the surface of the commodities or products that are produced by people’s labor, as material objects that have agency of their own, autonomous sources of satisfaction for us consumers. Farmers, electricians and auto workers don’t directly relate to each other as workers, instead the product of their labors meet in the market and are exchanged with each other. In a capitalistic society, things take the characteristic of people. Objects have social power, things act as if they have a will of their own. The relationship between producers and a capitalist society take the form of relations between things. We think money and commodities have power, their power comes from us, our creative labor. Within urban contexts, a high percentage of companies outsource to foreign neutral turnkey companies obscuring firms' knowledge and hiding laborers and architecture from view. An active aspect of urban lives is pushed out by a superficial cult of facades and tourism. The essence of this book is based on the revival of the idea of production and self-

sufficiency in a store, in a city. Creating laboratories for new talents turns the workplace into a marketing and PR tool, versus anonymous factory sheds, and outsourcing production. This typology creates memorable intersection between producer and customer, and questions the modern relationship between both parties. When production is treated as a visible and watchable process, consuming the preconsumption life provokes and insures the survival of a know-how that was essential for our evolution and is as important for our future prosperity. It instigates an emotional experience in our urban context that entails a change in the public opinion and conscience. Once you become aware of these basic thing, you can work out anything. The 'green dream' helps everybody to better themselves and so they aspire a sustainable future. For people to reach, they should see it. When you don’t understand something about someone’s craft, the key question is: where does the work begin?

Title: Industrial Revolution

Title: Commodity Fetishism

Title: Plastic Dreams

invisible bridge

ghost client

research question

The spectacle

...For people to reach it, they should see it.

As conscious consumers, it is up to us to change the current system, as governments work more for business than the welfare of human beings in general. Luckily in Slovenia, 'the world's most sustainable country', the idea of sustainability has infiltrated the capital's government. After my fortuitous encounter with a leading economist working in the Laibach's government, my personal statement and the city's intentions converged into several points:

invisible production into a visible urban phenomenon to raise awareness within the city center's recently pedestrianized streets, (4) Develop a green and sustainable architectural intervention that fits within the Ljubljana's agenda - Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greenest Capital in 2016 (by the European Union) The 'Invisible Bridge', developed in three chapters 'Used, Abused and Amused' is a theoretical and design response to several key questions:

(1) Provide spaces for the veteran artisans and craftsmen to continue practicing their craft,

(1) How does the city center's fabric and landscape react to its growing pedestrian movement ?

(2) Create an area for the new young designers and start-ups to experiment and innovate,

2) To what degree can architecture help bridge the gap between the craftsmanship of the past with the design of the future?

(3) Supply proper exposure for both the old and new artisans to promote and encourage the growth small local business - Make the

3) What is the influence of the small scale urban production and bottom-up economy on a 21st century urban strategy?

Title: The Dance of the Old and the New

invisible bridge

ghost client

used abused amused

guilds and glory Back in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, an age of craftsmen and guilds thrived in Slovenian lands, inducing a series of architectural changes that accompanied these manufacturing and financial developments. At the end of the 19th century, nearly every house had shoemaker's workshop. Today however, there are very few shoemakers left and the tradition is mainly kept as a popular commercial event (Cobbler’s Sunday) where mass-produced low quality products are being sold. How is the rest of the craft traditions being maintained?

Beekeeping – Beekeeping museum, gingerbread workshop and apiaries Ironworking and Hand forging - The Blacksmith’s Museum and other features Guilds - The loka Museum Cobblers, Potters, Blacksmiths, Bakers, Butchers, Tailors, etc. - Mercantile fair customs Saltpans - Special traditional occasions (On the other hand the fishing traditions, as well as wine vineyards and cellars, are still active traditions) The arrival of the new industries was marked by the first industrial building on the river banks: the sugar refinery (1835). During the capitalistic rise (late 19th until early 20th century), the entrepreneurs turned the capital into an industrial hub. After WWII however, factories were nationalized and turned into large socialist initiatives that organized the lives of their workers, from housing and schooling to entertainment.

It wasn’t until the 1990s that Yugoslavia fell mainly due its economic structure and businesses were privatized again. With many factories collapsing, a mass unemployment spread all over the Slovenian lands.

One can see that what that the guilds and their glory have been reduced to fairs and visual jounreys in museums. The skilled workers whose skilss have been passed through generations find themselves unemployed and inactive members of society. In our constant lust for the new, we leave behind the past. But when the new doesn't work out, people find themselves lost since they forgotten more than they know... Instead of fully succumbing to the shiny new the touristic sector, one of the key answers to maintaining a concurrent cultural heritage could be to turn the ghost of the past into a mentor of the future that will ensure the survival of knowledge.

Title: Slovenian Salt Harvesters

Author: Original Advertisement from the 19th Century

Title: Slovenian Social Housing

producers

I picked the three producers based on the following criteria:

1) Location in city center 2) Showroom and Workshop within same space 3) Small business linked with craftsmanship and/or designestas dapibus, nulla tortor commodo erat, at egestas libero mi at purus. Integer nulla nibh, tempus id nisl at, hendrerit molestie urna. Mauris pellentesque ipsum quis convallis lacinia. Phasellus vestibulum ullamcorper lacus ac porta. Nam congue et libero sit amet rhoncus. Donec condimentum enim eu cursus luctus.

Out of the these choices, there were three different workplace strategies: 1) Showroom and Workshop both visible from main street (Marko '1') 2) Showroom Visible while Workshop is in the back (Editta '2') 3) Showroom Visible on Ground Floor, Workshop above (Vodeb '3') estas dapibus, nulla tortor commodo erat, at egestas libero mi at purus. Integer nulla nibh, tempus id nisl at, hendrerit molestie urna. Mauris pellentesque ipsum quis convallis lacinia. Phasellus vestibulum ullamcorper lacus ac porta. Nam congue et

process c r a f t

tiporenesansa

Tiporenesansa is a graphic design studio that specialises in letter press printing technique. Headed by Marko Drpic, a calligrapher and letter presser, the brand also focuses on corporate identities, books covers and design. Since 2010, an addition of letter press equipment marked the start of a new production side of the commissions. It is now a local community that solves production issues, such as binding that the big companies cannot do, and customised items.

What is luxury?

Do you consider your production a luxury?

Luxury is a relative term. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the middle of the desert, a litre of water is luxury. I consider time to be the biggest luxury, time to do things that I would like to do as well as to do commissions.

If I compare my situation to people who cannot afford a working space in the centre of a capital of a country, I would call it a luxury. Being a freelance designer is in a way also an indulgence because there are days when I can just push away everything and spend my time on the things I would like to work on.

To some, luxury could be purely materialist like surrounding yourself with loads of items. it withholds the opposite effect since these objects require a lot of upkeep and maintenance, physical space to store them and mental space to think about them. Thinking about things instead of about what fulfils you or makes you feel more creative is not good. Luxury would be to purify your mind in such a way that you have a commodity to think freely.

Generally, graphic designers in agencies cannot see or control things beyond pdf: They send a pdf to a print shop and then the rest is out of their reach. To be able to control all or most of these steps and execute some of them on my own is a treat. The end result shows that people appreciate this, from the chosen material to the level of handcraft involved.

Which other products would you consider as luxury?

How would you describe the story behind your product?

Generally, expensive things are considered a luxury. But my understanding of luxury is a combination of an expensive product and the story behind it. The expense is a fusion of the quality material, manual labour, and careful thinking behind the production.

I cannot start working on a commission solely by talking to a client on the phone. I encourage clients to come to this space and have a discussion. Being a head of a national museum at one point taught me to step into the visitorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

It is the ability to purchase items that last ten times longer than they last now, be it shoes, coats, bicycles or even glasses. For example, I buy food that is ecological and I know all the people who grow it, I visit their fields and farms.

shoes and to be ready for all sorts of questions, an approach I implement in this studio. A thorough conversation makes the end result different, along with a combination of their desire, my skills and ability to understand what they need. I must choose the right materials and objects to bring life to the customer’s wish just like a film director who uses the right music, lighting and other factors to direct a specific scene. Does this result in having a psychological relationship with the client? Definitely, it even ends sometimes in long-term friendships. You usually spend a short amount of time in a shop, choosing an object and purchasing it, which marks the end of the friendship but here it is different. People pick a story that goes with the object they buy. Sometimes this justifies little mistakes that are connected to the product. For example when someone wants an exact colour to be printed, I invite them to mix the ink with me which takes an hour and they usually don’t have that time and are surprised at how time consuming the process is. At the end, when you understand the progression, you are satisfied by a slightly different shade. How do people react to your final product versus off-the-shelf merchandise? In an off-the-shelf product, they see what is in their hands. When they come here for a commission it’s a more of a surprise, especially when it’s an artistic commission. I involve them in the process as much as possible. I cannot call it teaching but a sharing of consciousness of how work is done or how passionate a person can be about the craft. This definitely radiates in the feedback I get.

Do you consider sharing your process as part of your brand or not? Yes. It’s difficult to find places like this, and to run them is even more difficult. There is almost a schizophrenic feel to this kind of business model since sometimes I start something complicated by the machine and when somebody drops in, I switch it off and all my attention goes to the visitor. But this goes together with having a space with three diverse functions – studio, workshop and selling point. One starts to weigh working alone in some remote place versus having a studio in a capital. In the middle ages, it was a remote scriptorium behind three valleys and therefore couldn’t develop any new style for years because there was no exchange of ideas or practice. I wouldn’t like this to happen to the studio, I would like more creative fluctuation. So I started to read a few blogs about similar studios and people who use their process to get closer to potential customers and the first step is always

having a physical safe – a point of sale, what happens next is still a surprise – where you are involved in a creative process with opening hours on the door. That changes one’s life especially if you are a one man band. How would you describe the local heritage of Ljubljana, and how does it relate to your line of work? There was a day that two of my friends pointed out that I walk the streets of Ljubljana like it was my living room. As a matter of fact, I have a good feeling towards the rich heritage of Ljubljana because I studied history of art. It is mostly the architectural heritage that hits me when I walk the streets. I also find myself inspired by the general feeling, the people living here and being in touch with what’s going on in because there is so much creativity in the air.

When you hear the word ‘sustainable’ what do you think about? Firstly, I think about sustainability in a very literal sense. That means you don’t destroy and you use resources that are renewable. You use processes and live in a way that does not damage nature or other creatures. For example, we recycle material in the studio. On another hand, sustainability is entering a bar and finding the same bartender a month later, a sign of viable relationships rather than fluctuation among employees. Good communication is vital to a sustainable economy, it establishes trust. If you want to be sustainable you have to be transparent, employ locals, and use local sources. Sustainability is in its relations – economical, financial, and emotional. How does Tiporenesansa qualify for a sustainable business?

I feel related to the past when I see stone carved works which are connected to my work. One point strikes me in particular: The national library. It has a manuscript department where I spent a month studying a mediaeval bible that was kept in a monastery close to LJ (but written in the south of France). When you spend so much time with a knowledge like that, you start imaging how things worked back then.

This space has been active for six years now, and I consider this successful and sustainable. As for products, I try to reuse lots of materials. I purchase only what I need because space is a luxury. I search for processes that will save the customers money. Although it requires additional time to think, the result is far more satisfying as we end up spending less on materials or less hours of production.

What are the advantages of having your equipment close to the showroom?

How would you perceive the notion of sustainable luxury?

The advantages come down to the feeling one gets when entering the store. It took us several years to gather this equipment and to put it in the right place. There is a story behind every single object which everybody can feel. The broader advantage is using all these collected tools that are here as a part of the working process of a functional workshop.

Material luxuries are not currently sustainable as they are run by unsustainable processes. When you switch the focus to immaterial luxuries – for me it is the notion of time and I would like that to be more sustainable. For example, Nordic countries have lowered the amount of working hours. It is something all of the society agreed upon. The result will be that people will spend more time with each other or alone doing something creative. I would call this a huge commodity. Sustainable luxury is having enough food, water and access to a proper health service.

A well-equipped place like this (100 square meters) could not exist in London or Paris because the rent would be very high.

How does the process itself measure on sustainability? It’s difficult to be completely ecological and sustainable as printing is based on mineral oils which are created with petrol. I try to be sustainable by using natural solvents to clean the machines and inks that were about to be burned. Additional efforts need a mental as well as a financial investment. It doesn’t strictly have to be more expensive, it has to do more with having sufficient knowledge to choose the right thing. You need time to gain this kind of knowledge. For example, when you buy new paper you support a huge industry that is often not completely ecological. But if you buy ecological paper that is produced with wind power which can only be found in the USA, it is transported in a big ship run by a diesel machine. Sustainability is demanding and requires time to be fully implemented – we cannot turn into a completely sustainable society overnight. How would you define luxury and heritage? In the west, we have a problem with preserving heritage and stories. I think we exaggerate in keeping these relics because maintaining them costs a lot of money. Knowledge is a better heritage than material because you learn the knowhow and can repeatedly produce something. For example, if you inherit a tool from your grandfather and it breaks, you would have the knowledge to make your own new tool and not keep the broken one. I think we should start abandoning material evidence and focus on knowledge and processes, on intangible material. How would you describe your local production? Book production is complicated, it usually involves about 15 different people. Through years of experience and contacts, I found a group of people with similar ideologies whom I can trust. On my behalf, I want to be transparent with the procedure I’m involved with and the customers

are surprised at how elaborate it is. In the future, I would like to have more people around, partners with whom I can build a cooperative model. On a final note, do you think the urban production is important? Having a studio in the city can raise awareness and be a stepping stone towards a more sustainable community. It is important especially that production like this is often hidden in factories. When people step into a space like Tiporenesansa they get inspired. You don’t need lots of tools to produce something e.g. soap can be made at home. You can produce things in simple areas with unnecessary complications and people have forgotten that. In Slovenia, for example, people are connected to nature and this encourages them to make more products at home. If we understood the process, like the complicated process to get water to your tap, it would bring empathy and appreciation to the things around us.

Showroom ‘S’: 26 m2 Workshop ‘W’: 57 m2 Studio

‘St’: 17 m2

Design Criteria:

relation c u s t o m variety

zelolepo

After twelve years in Kranj, the fourth biggest city in Slovenia, Editta Nardin moved to Ljubljana three years ago. “When the market is done, it’s done", and since her brand Zelolepo isn’t about industrial design and mass production, she went looking for a new home. Along with other fellow designers, a cooperative was established in the heart of the capital. Within the premise of the workshop in the back of the showroom, I sat down with the designer to talk about sustainable luxury, modest heritage and local production.

I’m going to start by asking you the first question, what is luxury?

to four weeks of pure labor, it is also a time of contemplation and understanding.

Luxury is not a monetary price, it is the relationship you have with the client. You find the balance between your work and the desire of the customer, incorporating his/her story into the work, creating something unique. After all, each person has his own story. Making time for the patron is an advantage when dealing with personalized products. Even though seemingly difficult, this is the foundation I have established my brand on 15 years ago.

Would you consider your line of work as art making?

How would you project luxury on other products? For someone, luxury is owning an expensive car. For me, luxury would be to own a car that only I can have. For example, if there would be a possibility to personalize the car, we would have unique cars all over the place, covered with all sorts of patterns and colors. The price in this case doesn’t matter, a “cheap” personalized car trumps an expensive regular model. How do your clients react to your vision? When I discuss an order with a client, I make time for him/her, we discuss a “bag” for an hour: I draw, pick materials, and ask questions... It’s a matter of understanding people, almost playing the role of a therapist. You attract what you are in business. As for deadlines and delivery dates, the clients know that the bag will be made in three to four weeks, which doesn’t necessarily mean three

Yes, mainly because I do all the work. I don’t do any outsourcing, and so in every product, you get the feeling of “handmade in a workshop” rather than “mass produced in a factory”. When I showcase one of my items, I refuse requests to reproduce the same piece. You can say the art in my work drives the ethical side of the production.

What separates fashion trends from art?

What drove you to come work in the city?

I design accessories as sort of a combination of art and wearable products. The business model is unique leather accessories and not collections, unless I want to showcase my work in Fashion weeks. Collections don’t sell the brand. I don’t even open a magazine with fashion trends. If I’m attached to fashion trends, then I’m like the others.

When you come to work in the capital of your country, it puts you on the map. When I say map, I mean global map because Ljubljana was recently voted as the Green capital of Europe. If you want to be serious in business, being based in the capital is a must. I think Ljubljana is very open, a nice synergy between architecture and nature. It is makes people living in the city very calm, only a step away from the park, and you lose the feeling of being in a big city. With the new Mayor, the city is becoming more modern, fresh, and urbanized.

So what started all this, what’s the story behind Zelolepo? When I was in college, I did an assignment for a seminar and came up with an idea of a company that provides the whole concept of life for a buyer, from the large scale to the small scale, the house and its furniture to the clothes and accessories. This company would have psychologists, anthropologists, architects, designers, every imaginable professional involved in the greater design of life, whose sole purpose is to bring to life what is written on the clients’ skin. That was my first attraction to do something for individuals and not for groups. As for the name, Zelolepo is a Slovenian word, the most heard word on campus because of one teacher who always said “Oh, This is Zelolepo”. Zelolepo is an inverted word game [Zelo Lepo translates to very Nice] Is sharing your story part of the brand? I am getting more confident in sharing my business strategy. I started to write a blog in Slovene language, and it got invited me to two fashion and design schools in Slovenia and one in Bucharest so far. I enjoy sharing my story with younger students in order to let them know that you can start something from scratch and make a good thing out of it.

With this geographic shift came new clients. How would you describe your clients, old and new? I see my clients as life seekers, the kind of people that have questions about themselves, about life, about the world. Most of them don’t own a television set, just like me, they like to read books and seek relatively different sources of pleasures. They want to have pieces that are designed for them, that reflect them. They are aware of their personality and what makes them different. They like to treat themselves with “food souls”, when they purchase my designs it is food for their soul. It is a luxury. When you hear sustainable, what do you think? I think that it is something that grows with time, it doesn’t have an expiration date. It is about the capacity to mold, reconstruct, redesign, recreate and apply to something else. For the sake of a brand, the best strategy you can adopt is selling sustainable products, it puts you on the lifelong market and gets you high stakes. The people promote your brand as a good one when your product lasts for a long time. Conscious buyers tend to avoid buying products that are worn out really fast. Within the fashion industry, the consumer no longer wants to support sweatshops in Mexico and China

How does your product weigh on the sustainable debate? I am the first person who refuses a clients’ wish to purchase five of my bags, because they don’t need them. I might be an atypical business woman, but my work is food for my soul. I know that the majority of people cannot afford luxury and designer products, but I deal with people who are willing to save money for years in order to purchase one high-quality accessory, an ultimate design that they can use every day because it is designed and crafted to fit their lifestyle. In the future, I plan to move on to a larger market and with the internet, that market is possible. I am not so fixed anymore on the circle of clients because the world is on my computer. This expansion allows me to raise the number of orders from multiple clients without compromising the quality of the merchandise. Would you consider taking on a greener strategy and if so, how would you apply it? I believe that when you are creating and using artificial materials, it is a has a worse effect on the environment than reusing raw materials, a leftover from the meat industry, such as leather, a natural material. My next plan is to share a workshop with a shoemaker and motorcycle accessory designer. Though seemingly different brands and design approach, we share similar machinery and materials, thus creating a more sustainable workspace. What are the disadvantages and advantagesselling and producing at the same point? In my current situation, the disadvantage revolves around being constantly interrupted when I work. Being available on the spot to the customer’s curiosity and questions is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Generally, I would say there are more advantages than disadvantages because you gain the customers’ trust by allowing them to get to know the person behind the product on the shelf. It therefore establishes a good sense of communication and relation with the market. If you want to sell more, you have to be open to people and market.

What is your production process? As I was in school, there was a lack of information when it came to the materials and how to put them together, even though I studied in a fashion school. When I started my business, I kind of figured out my own path when it came to producing my merchandises. I used to buy finished bags and dissect them in order to see what is good and what is bad. I n the workshop, there is a low level of noise since I basically put together real leather accessories using a hammer and one machine. How would you design your ideal work space? I would start by having a larger space than this one (22 m2), similar to the one I had in Kranj (67 m2). The design would have a sort of dichotomy in it, a showroom designed to be integrated as part of the city center whilst the workshop has a more suburban feel to it, providing the required peace and natural light for production. This separation can only be functional when there is a trust, one the client gets through the relationship and the conversation. In such a setting, the creative process isn’t subjected to interference. Nevertheless, beyond a certain limit, the larger the showroom the lesser the feeling of luxury, because when you dealing with luxury, the client has to see that there is only one bag and not 5 of them pretty much the same. There isn’t any need to display products on a large scale, which generally counteracts the sense of exclusivity. Does the transparent production withhold any effect on your business? Certainly. The consumer becomes aware of what is being bought, aware of the support to local artists, Slovene design, basically someone’s life and personal income. I believe it is the duty of each local designer or manufacturer to openly teach the customer about this awareness. As a designer, your role also extends to helping fellow designers by purchasing their products, or even exchanging some of their goods for yours. It creates a greater sense of community, one that can even reach other countries and continents.

Showroom ‘S’: 49 m2 Workshop ‘W’: 22 m2

Design Criteria:

tradition m o d e s t t o o l s

boutique vodeb

What started as spontaneous business, Vodeb has become one of the last shoemakers in Ljubljana. It was opened by [Grandfather] Vodeb who moved from a small farming town to the capital after WWII. He managed his shoe making industry with the same mindset he was raised in: material goods were passed on from generation to another, as was the knowledge that reached his grandson Nejc with whom I sat down to discuss his vision of the family business and approach in today’s society.

Can you start by explaining the foundation of your family’s business?

Do you consider the shoes that you produce sustainable?

Our vision is based on living modestly, owning a couple of good shoes that last a long time and then altering between them depending on how one wants to be presented. In today’s society, you purchase something only to throw it away after a short period of time, a contrast to the outlook my family has. The real challenges lies in fixing these items and making them last longer, not only does it create a certain patina but they accumulate a story over time. For example, a simple tool such as a hammer should have a life span of a hundred years, and used to fix other tools in return and create a cycle of sustainable development.

In the physical and technical aspect, they can be fixed many times over and that’s by definition sustainable, in the sense that they can be kept for a long time and worn from generation to generation. Their durability also exists in a nonphysical way, as they are classically designed, which makes the model last longer.

How would you define sustainability? If you had a synthesizer, a piano, you push the sustain button on a certain note and it would make it last longer. In order to last longer, a product has to be a combination of good quality material, production and processes. The world is constantly changing, but some things remain the same. In our case, we are one of the last people who do shoes in Slovenia, a tradition that transcends time, and so in a sense, tradition sustains. It helps to sustain a certain knowledge in any country, culture, or social entity.

How would you describe the sustainable tradition in the shoe making branch? In our branch, The English are the perfect model, they have a very long, thriving and living tradition of shoemaking. In Slovenia, it also prospered as there were numerous shoemakers, schools of shoemakers, as well as towns that produced shoes. With Yugoslavia came industrial production on a bigger scale, and factories opened up, which worked against the tradition but still managed to produce quality shoes with good materials. In every town, there were was a shoemaker on every corner, whilst today only a handful are left in the whole country. In the last hundred years, shoemaking schools closed and a big part of the knowledge was lost since everyone was looking outwards to the world in terms of what’s good, important, or even trendy. When all the local factories closed, the knowledge was forgotten along with those old workers who were thrown out. As a result, a lot of production is happening in other countries and being imported rather than produced locally.

What other products do you consider sustainable? Tools are very sustainable, you just have to know or remember how to use them. As a matter of fact, even if you provide a hammer or a knife to someone who had not seen it before, it wouldn’t take long to figure out what to do with it due its weight, shape or design. Nevertheless, everything can be made sustainable, but it was sacrificed for a plastic, big production, a throw-away society. For example, we knew how to do vases from ceramics and material that lasted two hundred years but still, we created the plastic versions that lose their colors in two years. How would you describe your clients? They’re well cultivated, and they respect the job that we do and the services we offer, and that’s only possible when there is a proper knowhow, a savoir faire that was passed on through generations in our store. In some cases, clients have difficulty getting the right shoe for them in regular shops because they have small heels, slightly deformed feet, or simply have their own design and style. Can this knowhow become available to people? In the middle ages, there were guilds, and in Ljubljana specifically, there were dressmaker’s guilds, shoemaker’s guilds, etc. Up until twenty years ago, there were also apprenticeship systems, where you could come to a shoemaker and he would take you in and give you a small amount of money and food in exchange for a price you had to provide to gain this knowledge. Unfortunately, this system has almost ceased to exist in all professions. However, there’s a glass making company that launched a school with its remaining glassmakers because of the shortage on craftsmen just like in many other traditional arts. In order to get new workers, they themselves had to teach, open an educational department. That’s a good example of how

tradition progressed so the knowledge wouldn’t be forgotten. They saved themselves and the whole craft with this kind of initiative. Why do you think production is important in an urban fabric? Today’s urban fabric consists mainly of restaurants and bars, not just in Ljubljana but in most European towns. Returning to more diversified city centers is useful on practical, logical and economical levels because everything becomes near and accessible, you can buy everything you need for your activities from within the cities.

What’s the advantage and disadvantage of you production process?

the normal choice because he knows what to do, however, it’s the processes and the service that you get that can be viewed as an extra.

We have a workshop on the second floor of our shop in the Old Town. You can basically throw the Every company raises awareness of themselves so shoe down andipsum sell it right away, don’tconsectetur have peopleelit. would buy their are people Lorem dolor sityou amet, adipiscing Aliquam idproducts, posuerebut ipsum. to go through transportation, one of the worst buying these products for the good reasons? Suspendisse vestibulum suscipit metus vel accumsan. Morbi id tempus risus. Vivamus factors in the destruction of our environment. Honesty and transparency in this case are a commodo odio acthan ipsum tempor, in vestibulumluxury. elit aliquam. Nulla posuere varius consectetur. There are more advantages disadvantages gravida sem such eu purus pharetra semper. Etiam vitae ligula a quam finibus maximus I wouldVivamus say, day-to-day problem as minor interruptions can be solved easily. est, Beingmaximus a ac ac mauris. Ut purus quis leo et,How ullamcorper aliquetofelit. in maximus is the philosophy the Donec store promoted? privateurna, company wesapien. are responsible for necmeans auctor Cras pulvinar, est vitae maximus varius, nulla purus viverra neque, everything, doing everything ourselves for eros. Curabitur Stories are vital smallsagittis shops, big shops, and vel sit in consequat lectusbyjusto sit amet id risus ac for sapien consectetur ourselves. basically every kind of product. In small stores, amet ante. Ut nec lectus tortor. the stories are much more interesting. Our story, Would you consider this a luxury? which travels from word-of-mouth, is something sit beginnings amet, consectetur we takeLorem pride ipsum in, ourdolor humble to our adipiscing elit. Aliquam posuere ipsum. The notion of modest luxury, or sustainable gradual development over the id years. Suspendisse vestibulum luxury, intrigues me: being modest is contrary The product’s story shouldn’t besuscipit limitedmetus to its vel accumsan. Morbi id tempus risus. with having luxury. But to me, luxury is being marketing, because of the way it looks onVivamus the odio acstatus, ipsum it tempor, vestibulum modest, such as making shoes that last, using model commodo or its fashionable shouldin revolve elit aliquam. Nulla posuere varius consectetur. a car as long as it operates, or even satisfying around the way it fits our bodies and personal Vivamus purus pharetra semper. day-to-day needs. In this case, people are much style, the feelinggravida we get sem wheneuwe use it. Etiam vitae ligula a quam finibus maximus ac happier with having every type of store nearby, as ac mauris. Ut purus est, maximus quis leo et, it brings better quality to their life. As for shoes, Is there a relation between Ljubljana and ullamcorper aliquet elit. Donec in maximus they were not meant to be some flashy accessory shoemaking? urna, nec auctor sapien. Cras pulvinar, est vitae that you throw away after one year. In the first maximus nulla purus neque, in place, shoes were designed to protect the feet: Shoemaking wasvarius, very prominent in viverra Ljubljana. consequat lectus justo sit amet eros. Curabitur id you walk on it, you abuse it, and you kick with it. Up until fifty years ago, every town had its own risus ac sapien sagittis consectetur vel factory and there were as many shoemakers sit amet ante. nec lectustoday. tortor.Today you can What is luxury? as there are Ut restaurants find signs of this history in elements such as Luxury could refer to something that is not serving Shoemaker Bridge, street, festival, etc. It even has a function that it was initially designed for, an its own saint. unnecessary material for the purpose of a certain object, like crystal glasses. According to me, how would describe Ljubljana and its heritage? luxury is owning one normal drinking glass, which allows me to direct my energy to a beneficial end Ljubljana’s heritage revolves around handcraft such production rather than standing in front of and craftsmanship. On the shoe maker bridge, the cupboard and wasting time choosing one. It there were actual shoemakers beneath wooden means the amenity to have a more sustainable sheds making shoes in medieval times. In attitude. Slovenia, people are very artistic and crafty, and all those traditional arts, such as lace making, Couldn’t shoes then be a luxury? dress making, shoe making, hairdressing, wood making, are feebly clinging on to existence. Shoes are generally pieces of leather sown together for a protective purpose and I respect Why did craftsmanship start to disappear, and that. Having a custom design that lasts a long time what will bring it back? can be an extravagance, rather than buying an off-the-shelf product because a famous person I think it started to disappear back in Yugoslavia endorsed it and end up looking like everyone when it was being replaced by big factories and else. Going to a shoemaker to make your shoes is serial production. Five years ago there were two

beer breweries in Slovenia, today however there are about thirty, a phenomena that saved craft beer, due to people becoming aware of it and grabbing on to it. A big part of Slovenia’s identity is about small shops and craftsmanship, there are many books about Slovenian craftsmanship such, “Mostrovine Slovenise”, and if their activities become visible again to people, the interest and the investment will bring them back to life.

Plans:

Showroom ‘S’: 27 m2

Ground Floor (Left)

Workshop ‘W’: 70 m2

Mezzanine (Right)

Depot

‘D’: 43 m2

Design Criteria:

m i c r o g r e e n tourism

Janez Novak

Janez Novak is an economist working in the government branch of city development and an alumni of the Faculty of Architecture. We had a glass of Slovenian white wine as we chatted about the current economic model of the city.

What is the economy of Ljubljana currently based on? The city is employing most of its man power in the touristic sector and microbusiness activities. The government is focusing on aiding these businesses because they represent a big number of people seeking employment. These businesses are generally close to the consumer in the sense that they provide direct services, such as hairdressers, or products, like clothing designers. They satisfy local needs out of local materials and provide alternatives, for example buying bread from the next-door bakery rather than the supermarket. This scenario was the one that was used hundreds of years ago, and is making a comeback because it’s the sustainable answer for today’s crisis. How did the end of Yugoslavia affect the economy of Slovenia? The local guy who is restoring furniture and making small unique designs suddenly mattered again. In the socialistic times of Yugoslavia, the government was organizing enough work for everybody by constructing big companies and employing masses of people. This type of economy wasn’t sustainable because the revenues weren’t high enough to cover the expenses of all these big factories and corporations. Hence, Yugoslavia fell apart mainly because of its economic stratagem.

After the change of the regime, the new owners had to optimize these factories either by dismantling them or reorganizing their structures. Aside those who traveled, the people realized the necessity of the small business and the need for extra activities. This represents today the micro economy of the country. Can you elaborate on the national structure of the micro economy? When the employment rate was dropping at a hellish rate after the closing of the big factories, where did the people go? The small businesses were an excellent alternative. They take shape mainly in niche stores that cater to locals and tourists alike. The success of Slovenia as a tourist destination put the tourism as a prosperous revenue. It inspired the openings of bars, restaurants, hotels, etc. and all the services it entails. Do any of these businesses specialize in luxury? Some shops deal with salt made in Piran which is gaining momentum on an international scale, Slovenian honey collected by farmers, small napkins called ‘chipka’, and other designer items. Slovenian designers, the likes of Draz, set up shop in the city center because they don’t sell in big volumes and thus take advantage of their location in the center to have a bigger exposure. The city is trying to protect and promote this type

of businesses by imposing rules and criteria’s to the chief owners who are renting out their spaces in the city center, who make choices based on the purpose of the business, its possible impact on the city center and its necessity rather than the amount of money they offer. Does production matter within the city? It is very important from the state’s point of view, because the GDP is increasingly growing (Gross domestic product) and the majority of decisions, such as taxes, are mirrored with it. The second major point is the employment rate. In some countries, the government is working to support the main capital holders, but on a long term agendas, it cannot survive without the small industries. The big industries are becoming aligned with the concept of automation, and so the smaller business are decent alternative models for employment opportunities to the worker that is being replaced by robotics. What is the core direction the city is headed for? They want to be a green capital, focusing on tourism and sustainability. The main measure is closing a street for traffic every year. It started with the three bridges and now we have a vast area dedicated to pedestrians and cyclers. The gained spaces are utilized for new urban activities, i.e. the main food market that was previously parking spaces. This lifestyle appeals to a lot of travelers and locals, such as artists, start-up owners and nightlife dwellers, but chases others away, like families who can’t arrive to their doorsteps in the cars. How does this strategy appeal to the older generation living in the city center? In Slovenia, we have a special bond to our properties. One of the disadvantages of this strategy is that the people who dislike it are

attached to their properties as Slovenians generally prefer acquiring additional properties rather selling or exchanging them. These people slow down the evolution towards a new city. The people who are leaving are heading to Bezigrad, the subarea on the other side of the railway station, where the neighborhoods are more optimized for living, with apartments on grounds levels, smaller apartments and lots of private gardens. Nevertheless, some come to the center because they want to be part of the hype. What about the transportation in Ljubljana? Ljubljana isn’t centralized, only 10 percent of the 2 million Slovenians live in the capital, the rest are spread out in many villages over the territory. Slovenian cities are connected as people living in Ljubljana leave it every weekend to go to their hometowns. The flux between different cities is constant. Public transport, busses and trains, aren’t organized enough to undertake this kind of continuous flow. People rely a lot on their personal cars. A sustainable concept like sharing cars is revolutionary, but people embrace evolution which is a step-by-step progression. That’s why a better management of parking spaces is important, it liberates a lot of spaces for better public uses, replaces concrete with green, and reinforces a sense of community. What would be your measure of choice to make the city more sustainable? Ljubljana has a good quality of life, clean air, water, food, and all the services that are needed be it cultural or educational. People are positively reacting to sustainability, namely changing windows and fixing facades to avoid temperature losses and efficient garbage collection and recycle system.

On my behalf, I fully support the micro activities. As a personal initiative, I would like to be involved in growing food locally, as an economic and social activity. The idea already started here, ‘Urban Vegetable Garden’, where members go and grow their own patch in empty lots. Ljubljana isn’t packed with buildings, there a lot of empty spaces such as inner courtyards. The majority of these areas are neglected and packed with sheds and parking spaces. I support the construction of underground garages and the transformation of rooftops and courtyards into green farming zones. Since there is a shortage of parking space compared to the numbers of cars, there is enough demand to raise an investment that will subsidize the excavations of the parking.

"...This scenario was the one that was used hundreds of years ago, and is making a comeback because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the sustainable answer for todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crisis"

Design Criteria:

1.00 - Working Space in City Center 1.10 - Available Functions: Studios, Workshops and Showrooms 1.20 - Creative Flow 1.30 - Visible Workshop / Machinery 1.40 - Total Units Area Average: 100 m2 1.50 - Communication / Community 2.00 - Customizable Open Spaces 2.10 - Cross-Disciplinary / Multiple Services 2.20 - Lecture Room / Auditorium 2.30 - Synergy between Architecture and Nature 2.40 - Flexible Variability and Versatility / Growth and Change 2.50 - Shared Workshops (Usage of Same Machines and Materials) 2.60 - Minimum Workshop Area: 50 m2 2.70 - Natural Light 2.80 - Comparatively Smaller Showroom (Limited Items) 3.00 - Schools of HandCraft / Apprenticeship 3.10 - Shared Living Units 3.20 - Restaurant 3.30 - Bar 4.00 - Microbusiness / Start-ups 4.10 - Exposure / Visibility 4.20 - Green Architecture 4.30 - Pedestrian and Cyclers 4.40 - Temporary Markets 4.50 - Courtyards

i n s i d e l o c a l k

Petja zorec

Petja Zorec is a fashion designer and a teacher’s assistant at the local fashion university.

What is the story behind your designs?

How would you describe the local production?

All of my collections derive from my feelings. Designing is therapeutic because it allows me to deal with issues that I’m currently facing or thinking about, thus turning negative feelings into positive outcomes. In my latest collection, I took a recurring “snake” sentiment and turned it into a humorous collection, based on research about the animal, its movement and patterns. I took the drawings of my eight year old brother and turned it into the recurring thread in the collection.

When it comes to textile, Slovenia (Yugoslavia) had prominent factories manufacturing designs from sportswear to knitwear, many that can be found in a new book about Ljubljana and the textile industry. In my hometown, there was a knitwear factory where both my grandparents were employed and most of the townsfolk, my grandfather was responsible for all the machinery and technology and my grandmother was a seamstress.

Sharing the source of the design allows people to relate to the designer behind any product, it humanizes the relation between producer and consumer.

My grandfather, like most of those employees, retain the knowhow by remaining as active as possible, still repairing machines and helping me create the pieces in my collections. The pride in his eyes when he sees his know-how translated into my current designs gives me a great sense of accomplishment.

What is the process behind your designs? It’s about find a main idea, a thought, researching it, doing sketches, cutting the patterns, choosing and waiting for fabrics, etc. I rely on basic pattern cuts and experiment with small alterations each season and do everything else in my collection except for the sewing part, which I outsource to two local seamstresses. In fact, there are a lot of unemployed skilled seamstresses in the North East of Slovenia, where big factories like Mura were established, who lost their jobs when most factories closed down after the fall of Yugoslavia.

Is there a chance that local design can reach international scale? There are a lot of brands popping from neighboring countries that aren’t famous for their design, i.e. Eastern European countries like Ukraine. This is good sign for countries like Slovenia because it means the world’s scope for talent is broadening and aiding small countries go into bigger markets. Backed by the ministry of Culture, my dream is seeing the craftsmanship that I inherited from my grandparents turned into a local knitwear production that reaches international scale,

a company that employs the old unemployed craftsmen with the new aspiring designers to revive an artistry that is linked to our heritage. What are your views on sustainability? Unlike the heavily marketed ecological approach, my understanding of sustainability is local production. It’s crucial to produce and purchase local products as it can have a great impact on the economy and the way we live. On a personal level, I make sure everyone who is involved in my production line gets fair payment, because morality is at the heart of sustainability. The notion of morality is scarce in the fashion business, the second biggest polluting industry in the world with abusive sweatshops set up in countries such as India and China. Whenever I have a chance, I inform my students and people I know about the true cost that ‘big companies’ inflict on their workers. Raising awareness can lead to positive changes when it is pursued by members of any community. It is a luxury to be sincere and transparent in a world that wreaks havoc on the environment in the name of ‘protecting it’. How do your clients react to your views and products? After a show is over, I’m surprised with the reaction of the guests and their attention to the smallest details. This is an advantage when a collection comes in a small series, buyers are happy because they get the exclusivity of the product and a transparency when it comes to its design and production methods, and I benefit from their loyalty and awareness. In a small market like in Slovenia, the customers can have a personal relation to the designer and they start to connect the clothes to a person rather than a price or a trend. The designer can benefit the small city by establishing a lot of contact and procuring good quality materials for decent prices.

If the brand will go bigger, I will try my best to maintain these connections and employ a Slovenian PR firm, graphic designer, patternmaker seamstresses, etc. in the purpose of offering more job opportunities for the loyal and hardworking locals.

"...when he sees his know-how translated into my current designs gives me a great sense of accomplishment."

Design Criteria:

h o n e s t s

freedom

Olja Grubić

I met up with Olja Grubic after attending one of her private performances Red Web, ‘a digitalized performative installation of a sexual chat-room’ She is a visual artist and a performer, but in general, “I do what I want”.

What is luxury? Luxury is the optional substance in life. One doesn’t need money to have luxury, as it can made by one’s own self. For example, if I can’t afford designer clothes, I design my own. The same principle applies to art, possessing and creating art is a luxury and as an artist I therefor lead a luxurious life. What can you tell us about your art? Aside from their professional careers, both my parents are artists, mother paints and father sculpts, working mainly with wood and designing furniture and interiors. They instilled it in me early on. In my art, I deal with being at ease with one’s physical appearance and celebrating beauty in all shapes and sizes. As the world is becoming more globalized and open, people are becoming more closed up and celebrating nudity and sex is a call of openness and defiance to the norms that society tries to apply to people. I express myself through many mediums: my drawings are simple, provocative and sexual, and through them I convey my thoughts about the society and world I live in. The same principle applies to my performances. I try to be connected to popular culture to be able to think about it and react to it.

Can you walk us through the creative process of one your performances? It starts with a concept that I can apply everywhere, and once inside a location, I adapt the act to the surroundings. There are different layers that come into play within the performances, mainly expressed through the medium of sex and nudity. The shows are different every time, the ideas are a product of an interactive dialogue, a stroll in the city or a chat with my friends at an afterparty. Even the development of the performances generally involves other people with whom I act it out and improve it. Once I figure out the main aesthetic and direction, the rest of the pieces will fall into place Where do the performances take place? I preform in alternative places as well as institutions. Working outside the institutions is difficult because of the lack of funding and inside of it it’s problematic as well because of all the regulations and censorships. Over a period of time, one learns to function inside and outside. What attracts you to Ljubljana? Ljubljana is a small city where you meet all sorts of people who come from different places. When you walk in the city center of the capital, you see a lot of individuals, rather than masses. There is a genuine creative energy, and these characters are not afraid to express themselves.

I came to Ljubljana initially to study art at A.V.A (Academy of Visual Arts). It’s a private school that allows more liberty and freedom than the state academy. Apart from my studies, I attended many workshops in the city, i.e. VIA Negativa, and festivals where I learned bits and pieces from each artist I collaborated with, pieces that helped build my current artistic identity. How would you describe the local art scene? There are a lot of artists, although a part of them are more designers than artists. There is a fine line between a good designer and a good artist. At large, it takes more than being wealthy, knowing the right people and attending the right faculty to be an artist. It’s about personal creativity. You can upgrade something that you saw somewhere else if you are aware and many lack this awareness and honesty. In our circle, we don’t have enough money and don’t have studios, we meet in each other’s homes and in the locations the sponsors offer us. I find myself working sometimes until 3 am in the building offices in Metilkova, where Tiffany, the nightclub where I perform my burlesque acts, has an office there for their cabarets and interventions. What’s your solution for the young art scene? The main issue with local production and art is that people don’t have time to develop the project enough and are pressured by their sponsors. Some of them work in studios or places provide by institutions or partners, while the rest operates from their homes. With the rise of sustainability, local production is becoming more popular and in demand, it’s a positive movement as long as it maintains an honest work ethic and transparent production. My dream is to have a small villa, where I can live, work, rehearse, perform and have a meeting point. It’s a combination of a residential, a studio, a gallery and a nightclub. It’s a sustainable

solution, a method that permits likeminded people to collaborate together towards similar ends.

"...My dream is to have a small villa, where I can live, work, rehearse, perform and have a meeting point."

Design Criteria:

d r a w p r i n t c

Petra Varl

Petra Varl is an artist whose main field of expertise is drawing. We sat down in the drawing room, a chamber within her house, to discuss luxury, sustainability and production.

How do you perceive luxury? Luxury is the opposite of ordinary, it is beautiful, special and hard to get. Slipping like sand through my fingers, time is the luxury I crave the most. Is your product a luxury? On one hand, I developed silkscreen prints out of drawings, intended to be accessible by a large number of people. On the other hand, I make unique hand drawn artworks or metal cutouts that are more expensive to acquire. In both situations, owning a piece of art brings happiness to people, regardless of its cost. Do people react differently to these two typologies? Having a work of art, be it a print, drawing or cutout, conveys a sensation of privilege, a luxury. Although silkscreen reproductions are an inexpensive alternative, people react similarly. The difference between both typologies could be the exclusivity of the original, considered to be an additional benefit. I believe it shouldn’t matter whether a product or an artwork is owned by many or few as long it is a product of high quality. What is the motivation behind your art, and your experience with commissions? Motivation is a foggy notion for an artist as it’s different from developing a brand. I do drawings and extract prints or sculptures out of them based on a feeling, a hunch. When I first started,

commissions let me get through the month. They became a source of exploration, seeking ways to get closer to art and make it come alive. As I became more established, I only accepted commissions that I was interested in and which I was sure I’d enjoy doing. I seek projects that allow to grow and become better at what I do. If someone asks me to replicate an early illustration of mine, I refuse it. Whether it’s in islands, museums or even houses, I aim to create art that is universal. There’s an intimate relation between the art and the space it’s intended for. What’s your perception of Ljubljana? Because of its small size, Ljubljana is a place where you develop a lot of close relationships, there is a sense of community. It offers a myriad of activities within a small reachable space. In the morning, I walk in the woods of the castle hill, and buy French bread from Osmica bakery, a personal favorite. They make a limited amount of loaves per day, like a luxury limited edition production. In the evening, I often watch a theater performance or host a dinner party. I live next to the open air market because I love cooking and getting fresh ingredients every day. What is your production method? I make small drawings in my ‘drawing room’ at home and bigger work in my studio, located at the ground floor. A lot of my artworks are done in situ. As I am interested in sustainable

production methods, I use materials that I scout at the location of the show and create all the items there. For example, I use a brush to directly draw on walls. My recent metal cutouts, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;movable graffitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, are portable and I like using different environments as their background Lately, I have been working on oversized paper drawings of simple trees and their shadow that I fold. I will be able to carry them in my suitcase for my New York exhibition this spring. What are your plans for the future? I love producing, drawing. The energy that you put in is transferred to the people. However, I would like to take a sabbatical and go to Japan. My aim is to learn more about the wabi-sabi philosophy from local masters and craftsmen, a Japanese aesthetic centered on transience and flaw.

"...Because of its small size, Ljubljana is a place where you develop a lot of close relationships, there is a sense of community. It offers a myriad of activities within a small reachable space."

Design Criteria:

VINTAGE GARMENT FACTORY

BARBARA hrovat

Barbara Hrovat is the patron of the local vintage and second-hand designer store.

What is vintage? Vintage is a term that refers to clothes from the 1920s until the 1990s and prior to 1920s, it’s an antique. It is defined by a style or an era: the Roaring 1920s, The Glamour of Hollywood between the 1903s and the 1940s, Teddy boys and Rockabilly, the Jacqueline Kennedy pillbox hat of the 1960s, the Mode fashion etc. Actually, when pieces are older than 20 years, they get described as vintage, but what will happen in a few years when there are no recognizable ‘super trends’, will vintage only be a label of age? What were the defining trends in Slovenia? Slovenia always adapted the general trend that was in Europe. Its local designers produced items that were part of the general movements. America took the products from the shows and sold them in the all-American creation: department stores. Today, it is unfortunately not about adopting trends, but about copying brands rather than designers. How did Slovenia contribute to these trends? Slovenia was known for its manufacturing. Prior to WWII, it was booming with individual high quality tailors and good craftsmanship. Later on, nationalized factories produced items for highend labels like Escada, Hugo Boss and Yves Saint Laurent. Regrettably, most of these companies, such as Mura, have fell apart and/or currently in receivership. Others, like Toper, tried to get on its feet again, but didn’t succeed, even though they had the machineries to produce. Manufacturing firms had their patterns destroyed because no one knew how to read them and of the receivership status (old stock and old patterns). They were written off and destroyed. Companies like Rogaka were producing crystal that was sold in Murano. The production and

designs were modern and luxurious. Although they had all the technology, they never put out their own design because they were producing for others. How do you define luxury? A bubble bath, it is all about pampering one’s self. In contrast, it can refer to the unattainable. In both cases, it’s the aesthetics that give a sense of enjoyment and please the eyes. Vintage clothes are a luxury because of the embellishments, fabrics and detailing. It has become expensive to sustain such types of productions and manufacturing, a luxury. What became of fashion and production nowadays in comparison? Today, fashion of the youth is centered about blending in and being ‘trendy’. Fast fashion is not sustainable: gowns that were produced about a hundred years ago could remain immaculate and functional depending on how they were stored. For example, when you open a silk scarf (depending on its type), no matter what were the storing conditions, the colors and fabric get worn away at the folds. These clothes can be reworked, sown again, you can change a button, a belt and the piece becomes completely different. Is sustainable a term you would apply to this category of production and items? Indeed. A sustainable item is one that you can use over and over again, it doesn’t ‘wear and tear’, i.e. an antique piece of furniture built with solid wood. It always keeps its shape. Fast fashion is about money and turning in profits, it is attainable and not sustainable. You can afford to be trendy, disposable. Human rights are violated because of the production outsourcing of many a fashion company and results that can be described as: beige, chemicals and polyesters.

Architecture like clothes, is a functional creation that you use every day. Galleries and museums are a reflection of the art that they withhold just as home are an echo of the person living in it and his/her lifestyle. When you visit New York, Paris or even smaller cities like Riga, you’re surrounded by all those beautiful Art Deco buildings, are they old? To me, they seem to live on and on. Whatever happened to craftsmanship? Craftsmanship is no longer allowed because it wouldn’t render the merchandises attainable. It is slowly creeping towards a forgotten art as there aren’t’ many artisans left. A master of painting, even shoemaking, is an artisan because he can further his craft beyond simply creating an entity, but elaborating it. Any type of skilled craft worker is an artist. Hand detailing and painting is scarce because of its unappreciated price. This decline practically started with the industrial revolution and mass production. What will bring back craftsmanship? It is a question of people demanding it, people aware of its whole issue and pursuing its revival. A lot has been lost and a lot has to be regained. Now I have a question for you: Would you a buy an apartment in an old building and renovate or a new loft in a newly constructed one?

"...Although they had all the technology, they never put out their own design because they were producing for others."

Design Criteria:

PATTERN M O D E R N

JULIA hrovat

Julia is an up-and-coming fashion designer and the daughter of Barbara.

What triggered your passion for design? As a child, I always found myself drawing on napkins. Moreover, I spent a lot of time imagining the interiors of all the empty spaces that my mother helped sell or purchase in her real estate company. My interest in art motivated me to study graphic design in a prestigious high school, a good entry into the fashion world because it provided me with the right sensibility to colors and shapes. Is there a link between fashion design and architecture? Absolutely, it isn’t about architecture or fashion at end, but the story behind them. My graduation collection was based on the monuments of Yugoslavia that were built in the sixties and seventies. They were constructed for both winners and losers at the locations of the battles, deep within the wilderness and outside the cities lives. They are a series of futuristic modern structures that reached up to 35 meters, and each monument has a different breathtaking energy. Although theoretically concrete structures are unnatural, looking at these memorials within their natural surroundings, they match the rhythm of their environment. And since they were abandoned, nature took over them giving them a special erosion patina, a print that I articulated in all the pieces of my collection.

What other kind of elements influence your designs? I spend a lot of time in my mother’s store (Diva’s Vintage) looking at the details of old garments like gowns from the thirties, details that don’t exist anymore. They disappeared because of the price of their production that doesn’t convene with the financial structure of contemporary Fast-Fashion. I feel inspired to reintroduce the concept of details in clothing in a modern and less expensive way so people can access this type of workmanship again. How else does the past impact your approach? Table clothes aren’t very popular in modern society, but in some places like Bosnia they still lay them out in special occasions, as they come in bigger sizes and have lots of patterns and colors. I incorporated some of the actual table clothes in the garments of my latest collection, with a purpose to create ethnic patterns, a series that won three awards. Taking elements from the past, such as ethnical symbols to modern levels allows one to redefine the notion of durability and usability. Is this what your definition of sustainability? Patterns have been used for centuries. As soon as people started clothing themselves, they created patterns to identify different tribes. Each symbol has a story and higher meaning, with references as old as mythologies and polytheist beliefs. For example, if a woman wanted to signal her desire to get married, she embroidered two opposing

snails on her clothes. The concept is to take the past with its rich history and modernize it, even to a point where it becomes aesthetically unrecognizable. Can luxury be sustainable? Just like sustainability, luxury boils down to quality, craftsmanship, materials and the story that binds them all together. At the end, both concepts aim to last long time and surpass trends. How would you describe the local production? There is a difference between hobbies and profitable businesses when it comes to local handmade production. Craftsmanship is very important in Slovenian culture. In big cities, it somehow gets lost, whilst in smaller capitals like Ljubljana, old people are still actively involved in their craft, working with materials and clients, and they sustain the knowledge of proper knowhow. I once did an internship for a local factory that was a prominent manufacturer of outsourced luxury clothing. The main issue with these factories today is that they have good craftsmanship but no designs. They create the same basic collections and are resistant to responding to current needs and styles. The objective is combining the craftsmanship and quality of the past with the designs of the future. What is the best method of transfer of this knowhow? Apprenticeships, especially in small establishments. They are periods of time where you learn a lot quickly. It allows you to identify what you want to do and how you want to do it as you are involved in the different layers of a business and in contact with the diverse fields that come into play. I did apprenticeships in Stockholm and Antwerp, each for three months long. In Stockholm, it was a small design company that was mixture

of art and fashion. We were experimenting with deconstruction and I was testing with patternmaking. In Antwerp, the company was more versatile, it involved more people and activities, i.e. producing fashion shows in Paris, accounting, marketing and selling. I learned that when the company grows, you grow with it.

"The objective is combining the craftsmanship and quality of the past with the designs of the future"

Design Criteria:

9.00 - Inspirational Archive Space 9.10 - Usability 9.12 - Binding Story / Common Thread 9.13 - Versatility

invisible bridge

ghost client

used abused amused

“Identity” of a person, of a thing, of a place Humans have forgotten more than they know (pyramids, witchcraft...). People take everything in isolation, and specialization has never been more limiting. Facts seem misleading whilst, everything is connected. Only after viewing the ideals a diverse group of Slovenians, I started researching the architectural 'abuse' that the city has been through to create an intervention that fits with the local history and circumstances.

I’ve always had a deep interest in the models of excellence that humanity has produced: The Enlightenment and its aesthetic regime in architecture, Reason and Rationality, Baudelaire’s Paris, Manhattan and its technology of the fantastic, industrialization in Europe, the Modern Movement (and its political aspect), the invention of the New Man, Doubt and silences, collapse of Reason after WWII, Computer and Space travel, Popular culture and Kitsch, Poetics of architecture through Mimesis... What were the driving forces that shaped Ljubljana's current urban fabric? To propose a contemporary urban intervention for Ljubljana, I took advantage of the 'Utopia' theme that was researched in the Design Studio Seminar of Sadar that I was a part of during my Erasmus in Slovenia. In the following pages, you will find a series of 5 different utopias (post-industrial revolution). and an urban comparison that shows similar European capitals to compare the leading urban ideas that are being promoted Just like it was mentioned in the first open interview, the city has adopted a green strategy and the pedestrian part of the city center is in constant expansion. After all, road traffic, especially diesel vehicles, is the main source of air pollution and has a damaging impact on our health. This pedestrianization

helps avoid this amount of pollution, and reconsider our habits of getting from one place to another. It’s all about altering people’s daily habits. Abiding by the Ghost Client’s research method, I produced different personal maps to identify urban interest points. One common thread surfaced: the Ljubljana river: be it in the way it turns the castle and the buildings around into to an island, or Plecnik's Market and a series of embankments typologies bringing people closer to water and the multiple bridges with rich histories such as Shoemaker's and Butcher's bridges In fact, when you walk around in the city center, it's easy to realize that the identity of the city is somehow reflected in its water: green, calm and small. Despite the multiple efforts from different eras to bring people closer to the water, it seemed to me that the river had more of a superficial visual aspect in the city. How to integrate the full identity of a river, a major urban blue infrastructure, with the rest of the city?

Title: Achitectural Epiphany

Title: Synergy

Title: Let's Ride the Wave

Ljubljana 19. Stoletja

Popotresna Ljubljana

PleÄ?nikova Ljubljana

Ravnikarjeva Ljubljana

Arhitekturna Šola na KRIŽIŠČU

Koželjeva Ljubljana

Ljubljana 19. Stoletja (19th Century Ljubljana)

The industry becomes a promoter of urban and spatial development

Courtesy of: Mateja Bavcar, Sabadin Janvit, Marusa Kiler, Ziga Lovsin

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Popotresna Ljubljana (Ljubljana after the Earthquake)

On the 14th of April 1895, the Earthquake gravely affected the 1400 buildings that were in the city and lead to the biggest reconstruction in its history

Courtesy of: Tiziana Srdoc, Blaz Senica, Karla Ritosa, Katja Lipic

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Plečnikova Ljubljana (Plečnik’s Ljubljana)

A vision of Ljubljana if the man who build its modern identity had his full way

Courtesy of: Nina SeliÄ?

Ravnikarjeva Ljubljana (Ravnikarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ljubljana)

The industry becomes a promoter of urban and spatial development

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Poskrbeti moramo za pravilen odnos med novim in starimâ&#x20AC;? (We need to mend the relationship between the new and the old)

Courtesy of: Klemen Senk, Eva Tomac, Ren Kaligaric, Kaja Simicic, Klara Susa Vacovnik, Danilo Silan

Arhitekturna Šola na KRIŽIŠČU (School of architecture at the crossroad)

In the Collage, there is a picture of the band Leibach, iconic 80s band that fought for the revoltuion, gazing triumphly through the terrasse of the Centre of Commerce, at a Burning Bosnian Parliament in Sarajevo.The new Centre of Commerce, a symbol of a New Economy, came as a result of the collapse of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

the fall of yugoslavia

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kozeljeva ljubljana (kozel's Ljubljana)

Degraded areas will be reactivated with an improved accessibility and connectivity to public spaces, while continuing to close off streets for motor traffic

The renovation of the Ljubljanica river embankment with bridges, footbridges and rafts will create an extension of the public space

Courtesy of: Sara Tratar, Spela Susnik, Jaka Korla, Simona Rozman, Matic Skarabot

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Title: Connectivity (Bridging Urban Poalrities- Ljubljana and Ljubljanica River)

Title: Productive Heritage (Using Ljubljana Faculty building as background)

urban comparison

København ( Similarities: capital, european green city ) MAin Urban Ideas: the finger plan, big ideas, three-dimensional neighborhoods, period of encouraging 'creative businesses', "Öresund metropolis“

size: 88.25 km2 Population: 591,481 6,800 Hab. /km2 (Increase 60 000/10 years) Rather colder weather conditions, seaside Highways „completed“ Connected to high-speed railway, airport (8 km) The city has clearly set itself the overall goal to be the world’s best city for cyclists 11 bridges

Praha ( Similarities: Capital, previous socialist city, part of AustroHungarian empire) MAin Urban Ideas: Enthusiasm, doubts, 'calm down' pace of urban changes, Metropolitan plan, city bypass tunnel

size: 496 km2 Population: 1 247 000 3930 Hab. /km2 (Increase 100 000/10 years) cold(er) weather conditions Highways under constructions not Connected to high-speed railway, airport (11 km) Parking rather strict, difficult Bicycle use due to morphology, Inhabitants use public transport, tram, and metro lines. 11 bridges

Zürich ( Similarities: Swiss capital, similar urban morphology) Main Urban Ideas: 'And Now the Ensemble!!!', Analogous architecture, Miroslav Šik

size: 87.88 km2 Population: 404 783 3930 Hab. /km2 (Increase 40 000/10 years) Rather similar weather conditions Highways "completed“ Connected to high-speed railway, airport (8 km) Parking very strict, inhabitants use public transport in large numbers 20 bridges Development in railway brownfield

ljubljana Main Urban Ideas: Enthusiasm, 'ljubljna 2025', formula nova ljubljana, national impact, green city

similiar size: 163.8 km2 Population: 272 140 1708 Hab. /km2 (Increase 10 000/10 years) "Mediterraneanâ&#x20AC;&#x153; weather conditions, seaside Highways completed not Connected to high-speed railway, airport (20 km) Previously dominated car transport, The focus is now on public transport and on pedestrian and cycling networks 36 bridges Huge development in brownfield.

Title: New Dawn (Using Slovenian Architecture Firm Sadar+Vuga Unrealized Projects)

invisible bridge

ghost client

personal maps I

Please Turn The Book 360 Degree map

Title: Island Bird Eye View

cation: l jubl jana, slovenia / themes: urban fabric, urban planning, natural elements (river and trees) / Master thesis: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the ghost clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - maig24

Please Turn The Book 360 Degree map

Title: River Embankements

cation: l jubl jana, slovenia / themes: typologies of river embankements within the city center / Master thesis: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the ghost clientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; - maig24 /

Please Turn The Book 360 Degree map

Title: Bridges

: ljubljana, slovenia / themes: diverse typologyies of bridges, connections old town to new town, vanishing point castle / Master thesis: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the gho

architectural dialogue

R E M A R K R E I V E R REDESIGN

Atelier VOZLIČ

After finishing their studies in the 80s and working for a few years in Vienna, Matej Vozlic and his wife Vesna opened their office in the late 80s. They won their first competition situated at the Butcher’s Bridge, a competition that set the path for the rest of their projects which take form mainly in the vicinity of the Ljubljanica River. Nevertheless, their office deals with all sorts of ventures, from urban design to interior and furniture, since “big or small, the projects share the same essence of form, functions, costs and all the rest”.

How was it when you started the office? Even before the second WWII, there was an environment of competitions. But after it, only a few architects were selected by the government to design the major projects, such as Ravnikar, and the remaining architects were limited to the small assignments. In the late eighties, the economic crisis and the fall of Yugoslavia lead to the dismantling of the big offices and the emergence of the smaller architects’ firms. What can you tell me about the river? Ljubljanica is considered to be the richest archeological site in Europe, with relics such as the oldest wheel found within its waters. Its culture dates back to thousands of years ago, with pre-historic lake culture similar to the one in Switzerland, legends such of Arguendo, and Roman settlements. Before the railway from Vienna to Trieste, the river played a vital role: the only transportation to the south, therefore making Ljubljana a strategic point of cargo traffic and travel transit. How did the perception of the river change through time? In the past, it was regarded as a function rather than a form, a travel route instead of a sight. The houses oriented their backside to the river, the balconies where used in order to throw the garbage, and as there was one level lower, the women washed their laundry by the water. Today however, it is also a visual part of the identity of

Ljubljana, a meeting point of a Mediterranean and Central European culture. What lead to the engineering structure of the river? The yearly river floods were very destructive. They lead to the development of a channel that was started about a hundred and fifty years ago by engineer Keller, reshaping the river throughout the city and making it deeper than it was at any time in the past.

With plans of oasis and pergolas similar to the ones he designed in Vienna, he initially aimed to set up similar structures in Ljubljana but due to financial shortage caused by wars and crisis, he only constructed raw walls. Since the regulations couldn’t be finished properly, Plecnik later filled in with his details and so he tried to come nearer to water levels using inexpensive materials like concrete and artificial stone. Approaching the water and continuing Plecnik’s legacy are strong aspects in today’s design strategy and vision for the city. How would you describe the shift in the atmosphere of the river in the last few years? The river and its banks were the devastated part of town in the eighties: concrete walls, asphalt all the way to the houses, no tables nor chairs, just parking spots. There was no sign of life by the river. In the recent years, the emerging projects such as ours brought life back to the ground floor, by implementing pavements and other functions such as lights and hundreds of trees in the center. Though mainly consisting of restaurants and bars, new functions, like hotels, are starting to find their ways into the city center. Why does the river play an important role in Slovenians’ lives? It has to do with our perception of the Mediterranean life, traveling and living by the water. My personal desire to go near the water stems from my family’s history: a great-greatgrandfather who was a naval officer in the AustroHungarian Empire and a great grandfather who was fascinated by water and spent a lifetime building boats and sailing along the river. As the river isn’t very wide nor deep, it’s easier to access it and make it part of our daily lives.

What did designing by the water teach you? Water represents the mystery of nature, its shine, depths and colors. Just the like the horizon, it sets off an emotion of exploring the unknown and a quest for freedom. It evokes a feeling of peace and quiet similar to staring into a fireplace or the moon. In our projects, we often incorporate the influence of water into the design itself: wave patterns in the tiling, sinusoidal railings opening towards the water, cubes aligned along the flow of the stream, etc. You’ve described a design that’s parallel to the water, how about crossing it? It is an achievement of the human culture, a strong gesture connecting two separated worlds. Bridges often play different roles, including traffic, faster connections, and strategical spaces for coming into certain regions or trading specific products. In Ljubljana, we had an active Shoemaker bridge as well as a Butcher bridge. When a bridge is covered, it can host a myriad of activities and programs. Plecnik initially designed the reconstruction of both these bridges to be protected from rain. Old bridges had visible structures that was part of their aesthetics, but today you can design very thin connections with materials similar to steel and concrete. A

s lifestyles are becoming more work-oriented and hectic in cities, commuting should be made more enjoyable. In Sicily, we recently finished a bridge where users can sit on benches and observe the river, slow down and see the city from a new perspective. In other competitions we also prolonged the space of the bridge onto the water, created different atmospheres overlooking diverse views, planted trees, etc. Do you see the bridge taking on new affordances, such as urban production? As we only have fourteen kilometers of coast in Slovenia, everybody should take constructive advantage of the river banks available. Different uses of the bridge vary with the need of the cities. In Ljubljana, we are becoming more aware of the environment and nature and slowly becoming a more sustainable society. A new vision of production within the city can have a positive ecological impact. These initiatives represent a modern lifestyle based on self-opportunities and more intuitive organizations, such as a group of people coming together and finding common production methods and programs. Our office won an award for reshaping an old space within the city and infusing it with a strong urban life, e.g. organizing lectures for people who want more education. What about the story of the city itself? It is currently in recovery mode because of its past devastation. The citizens were moving out because it was cheap to build in the suburbs, as were the activities and programs. Therefore, it became abandoned with empty structures and complexes. Ljubljana’s current success as a tourist destination is attracting people all year round, and a need for the return of a diversified city center is crucial. There are enough garages to accommodate a bigger population. Continuing the evolution of the city center into a contemporary living destination is a natural step in the history of cities where bad things get replaced by better ones.

How did Ljubljana become a touristic destination? A few years ago, airlines, namely Ryanair and EasyJet, started offering cheap travel tickets to Ljubljana. Visitors became habitants when they saw the potential of the city, its calm environment and relatively cheap housing. Travel trendsetters did the rest, and then the city became a mustsee destination in the heart of Europe. The capital is improving and expanding steadily, whilst maintaining its connection with nature. Travelling in itself is gaining momentum, going around the world and collecting momentums and experiences, after all what’s more important than seeing the most beautiful places on Earth? Where does sustainability belong in a capital? These terms usually go in opposite directions. Evidently, sustainability deals with management of activities in respect of nature and environment meanwhile the power play in capitals is based on the accumulation of comforts and control. Many possibilities can be exploited when the growth of the capital is done in accordance to nature, human values and surrounding nations. During the last year in China, the production of natural rubber has increased by thirty percent due to new laws that permit the sale of cheaper cars. Where should we draw then the limits? A lot can be solved with modern technology, emphatically Nicolas Tesla provided answers hundreds of years ago on how to harness cheap energy, natural drinking and much more. As an architect, you conceive solutions caught somewhere between the technical aspect of the problem and the artistic and philosophical side. Are travel and sustainability a luxury? Ramses II had completely broken teeth, a good orthodontist would have been a luxury to him. In today’s society, it’s more about having drinking water, food and electricity. Bicycles are a sustainable luxury, they are the best innovation of the 19th century.

Regrettably, luxury can take on false identities, such as diamond covered cars. Coming from Yugoslavia, we have a different personal view of what luxury is because of the different periods of crisis. To me, I would say itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dealing with architecture without all the bureaucracy it entails. Competitions without politics are valuable to any architect, as it a democratic tool that allows one to have a fresh eye. On a final note, production is a luxury and a necessity to the world since only one third of the people on the planet produce for the remaining two third.

"Our office won an award for reshaping an old space within the city and infusing it with a strong urban life, e.g. organizing lectures for people who want more education."

Design Criteria:

S O C I A L FLEXIBLE L A Y E R

Špela Hudnik

Spela Hudnik is a founder and director of International Architecture Biennale Ljubljana, a global networks of intellectual capital exchange, and co-founder of the architecture studio Monochrome Architects together with Peter Vezjak. She is a lecturer, researcher, artist, and curator. She was my Design Studio mentor and my main advisor in making this book.

What is luxury? Luxury manifests itself on different levels. It is the ability to be creatively independent, liberated from the circus dance that doesn’t positively enhance the final outcome. It is also the value that is intertwined with durability and significance gained over time, rather than a monetary value. Luxury is not a trend, it is a choice that stems from a conscious understanding of oneself and the world. How does luxury translate into architecture? It is translated once a flexible, adaptable and functional product is constructed. Luxury is in the procedure and not solely the final result. When designing, I personally take into account all of the site’s circumstances, spending hours observing the difference in the spatial, social and physical settings. My aim is to translate the client’s desires through an architectural interpretation directed by my set of values. Architecture has to capture the atmosphere and the sensibility of the environment and the society it serves. An example of disposable architecture is when a design is generated by a shape, a trend that can be replaced by the next one, dictated by fleeting cultural social values. When does architecture serve the society it’s intended for? A good architectural intervention brings ‘big names’ into neglected parts of cities and

generates a new energy which affects different levels of society. What the general public refers to as crazy or iconic buildings are only as good as the quality of life they improve around the environment in which they are implemented. What are the architectural tendencies in Slovenia? In Yugoslavia, the political architecture was assigned to big offices like Ravnikar in order to cover its vast territories. It was these architects that ran this school and split its students into two groups following two different methodologies. As technology evolved and the old regime fell apart, the small circle of architects became open to a younger generation. Neighboring countries couldn’t grasp the speed in which the national architecture commissions went from the old masters to the young pupils. In moments like these, architecture is a revealing key of a country’s internal values.

How does technology affect architecture? Back in the Industrial revolution, each machine had its own building, different buildings covered the process of production. It is clear today how we went from hardware to vaporware, everything became Nano and small. One can compare the architecture of a telephone booth that condensed into a portable gadget. Technology reassigns the dimensions and size of several architectural spaces. What can you tell us about Slovenian technologies and production? There are private companies that either reach international recognition for their inventive skills like Akrapovic or remain small and local. The production is centered on craftsmanship. A few years ago, whenever I had commissions, I created all of the furniture for the interiors myself as there was a large variety of craftsmen, capable of dealing with any detail and material, at accessible prices. The design experience was much richer as the architect could invent new furniture in ergonomic measurements. And then in a very short period of time, one couldn’t afford these services anymore and all the rage went to purchasing generic finished goods. What is at the core of your architectural practice? Our office ‘Monochrome’ was opened in 1996. The goal was to create spaces that question the notion of stability, ones that can be connected, added, adapted, used and reused by the next generations. We create an architecture that is related to the human scale. After traveling to countries all over Europe, America and South Africa, I realized that the difference of circumstances and conditions make it impossible for anyone to apply personal knowledge to any environment without getting to know the local language, culture and mindset. In order to improve and teach through spaces, the architect has to be open to be taught in return. After all,

architecture should not only be about creating silhouettes. In parallel to the architecture practice, we developed an interest in theory on a global scene and started to organize biennales: different disciplines would tackle a common issue through diverse mediums. It was set up to reach all social layers. I am also part of the founding group of a sustainability global award ceremony that monitors high tech and/or pure social solutions. You mention flexible spaces for the next generation, is this your understanding of sustainability? Sustainability is a term that is unfortunately abused by many in order to promote or sell. Let’s take electric cars for an instance, cities rush to fill their streets with them not to improve local living conditions but to increase logistical gains. It creates a huge corruption and suddenly the main point no longer is the low energy movement but the amount of money that can be generated. In most cases, ‘zero energy’ houses promoted

are not providing the complete environmental solution but merely parts of it.

different ambiances to invite people to stop and become aware of the beauty of the surrounding environment.

In its essence, sustainability boils down to understanding what to do and how to do it. It starts by looking at things as a whole and collecting all the parts and only then can complete solutions be foreseen.

When dealing with river banks in Ljubljana, Plecnik plays a vital role with his pillars, terraces, lamps, etc. The challenge is designing around and with these existing structures.

Does the young generation value the concept of sustainability?

On a final note, what do you perceive as the modern architecture approaches?

In the Capitalistic surge, loans and a false sense of ‘luxury’ severed all ties to reality. Shopping malls, with their lights and store arrangements were part of the creation of a commercial version of life that desensitized people, a ‘Truman Show’ of flat screens and transitory knowledge.

I would say our generation was the golden generation because we had the opportunities to produce at a young age. The one that came after us accepted the rules of the developers, whilst the current generation is acting as mediators between the law and the public in order to improve the living conditions. Architecture went from iconic to acupunctural, generating small waves of awareness and connection to the locals. Its aim is to provide a sense of security, social communication, environmental awareness, and function as an educational tool.

Luckily, we are witnessing a rebirth with the young generations, who still have the opportunity to go to their grandparents to teach them the knowhow and true values that can put an end to mass consumption and production society. How would you describe the relation between Slovenia and water? Slovenia is very connected with the water, as it’s the main moving element in the cities and towns. We have a seaside coast, lakes, and river streams running through our lands. In Ljubljana, we seem to have lost our connection to the river for a while. A generation back they used to swim in it, and suddenly it became a sewage dump. Good connections are recently reestablished with the projects like the stairs and river banks by Matej Vozlic where you leave the square and buildings behind and find yourself a little closer to the water. Bridges offer another type of connection to the river, unless people find themselves too much in a hurry to stop and observe. What more can you tell me about bridge? There was always a program on the bridge before, be it markets, tax paying points, and entrances to the old towns. For the people, the bridge became a public, social and functional event rather than just a crossing shortcut. The key is to activate

The public spaces allow an influence on a bigger scale, a chance to invent and provoke in order to tackle social issues.

"Luckily, we are witnessing a rebirth with the young generations, who still have the opportunity to go to their grandparents to teach them the knowhow and true values that can put an end to mass consumption and production society"

Design Criteria:

MINIMAL P U B L I C

Ana Krec

Ana Krec is an architect, formerly the assistant of Sadar+Vuga (my current Design Studio mentor) at the faculty of architecture. She has been in in Belgium for the last 18 months, developing her practice which revolves around the world in between, especially in public spaces. What was started seven years ago by four freelancer college buddies has become a company ‘Svet Vmes LTD’ run by two of them.

As a specialist on in-between spaces, what can you tell me about bridges? Bridges are connecting paths, a notion of the ‘Ma’ in Japanese culture, linking two separate worlds. It’s not merely a transition area, but a space where you look and be looked at. They represent points of interactions, gatherings, and learnings. Bridges invoke images of icons like the Rialto Bridge in Venice, which is more than a shortcut. What about the in-between space of the river? Ljubljanica has been through different phases. Once a swimming area and active boat path, it degenrated into a dead zone, a sewage outlet. Due to the efforts of architects similar to Matej Vozlic, the river and its embankments have been recently rejuvenated, a result of the current mayor’s vision ‘Ljubljana 2025’. With his plan, he aims to activate the city center and expand outwards, have boats come up and own the river bed and clean the water alowing people to swim in it again. The river is a potential factor in any city, one we have forgotten about for a while and presently working on reviving. Just like the city itself, the river is small in its scale, making it an accessible candidate for interventions. How would you describe the local production? In the last few years, there is an abundance of small crafts and micro economies that started to replace the mega shops who went out of the city center and found a new home in the BTC area.

The crafts are being produced by self-organized groups of people and range from jewelry to wooden designs, all visible throughout the city especially along the river. The river’s new role is linked to the promotion of these small businesses. The fact that the city is backing up similar trade models is highly beneficial for the youth who are starting to establish themselves. Ljubljana is big enough to support the growth of startups and young entrepreneurship and small enough to maintain a sense of community. What are the habitants of Ljubljana like? Youth is the city. Ljubljana has become a university town and so on weekends, it seems deserted. The young generation plays a major role in how the city is perceived by outsiders and insiders alike.

The majority of the habitants are in flux, travelling within Slovenia and outside of it, as well as studying abroad. For example, six pack architects, a famous group of architects who were educated abroad in cities like London and Los Angeles, came back and built the majority of their projects within the city’s premises. On the crossroad from Trieste and Vienna, different influences are visible within the city and its citizens. What is the main difference between that generation of architects and yours? Slovenia had just gained its independence. It was a young country seeking young architects to build a new vision and architecture. Public commissions such as the Chamber of Commerce were given to these designers and it got them back to the country. They worked in the transition time, while we are working just after the crisis hit. We mainly deal with small projects and interventions. They have experienced luxury with their clients, whilst we are in the service of the society to improve their daily lives, experimenting with public domain and dealing with larger number of people. Luckily, everyone who studies abroad wants to improve the conditions of the country they grew up in and bring back different energies and ideas from the countries where they were educated. According to you, what are the current issues that the city is facing? Grandeur and the lack of it. In the ex-regime (socialism), big ideas were promoted and built, namely extravagant memorials and factories. It’s dangerous when nothing big happens anymore, and so the current mayor is trying to execute big ideas in small projects to slowly encourage people to overcome their fear of dreaming big. The economic crisis pushed the country into small ideas and projects. Furthermore, we are lacking in the cultural aspect of the city, we don’t have institutions such as Tate and Bozar.

We are very nostalgic about the big companies that used to produce a lot of high-quality goods from food and furniture to crystal and designer clothes. Our local production were all we had and after the system collapsed a lot of people lost their jobs. Is sustainability relevant to you in your projects? In our firm, we often advice the client to opt for low energy alternatives, but the main drive of our designs stems from the search of beauty and aesthetical approaches. I never joined the ‘passive’ sustainable movement, even though it started as a relevant marketing strategy. However, I am interested in a hedonistic sustainability, similar to the one described by a Bjarke Ingels article I have recently read. How can clients enjoy their house if they can’t open a widow, or swim in the pool? Then what do you think about the concept of sustainable luxury? Time is the biggest luxury, and based concept of ‘Ma’, time and space create an empirical place understood with emphasis on pause. Luxury in architecture is having a choice, i.e. going from terrace to terrace experiencing different views or spacious rooms that offer uncluttered time. It is about inhabiting a space that gives you everything you need, and provides you with an energy that inspires you to create. With the new technologies, hedonism in sustainability is possible. Some buildings can be so well executed that they withhold the power to stun the visitor, like the Sydney Opera House. Since I mainly work in public spaces, the notion of luxury comes into question. Nevertheless, it always inspires me with the desire to act even in the smallest of spaces since it serves a public spatial education, influencing the future generations that use it.

"...A notion of the ‘Ma’ in Japanese culture, linking two separate worlds. It’s not merely a transition area [...] They represent points of interactions, gatherings, and learnings."

Design Criteria:

9.00 - Inspirational Archive Space 9.10 - Usability 9.12 - Binding Story / Common Thread 9.13 - Versatility 10.00 - Competitions 10.10 - River: Strategic point of Cargo Traffic and Travel Transit / Function 10.20 - One Level Lower / Closer to Water 10.30 - Influence and Legacy of Plecnik I: - Concrete and Artificial Stone - Covered Connections 10.40 - Intentions of Keller: - Oasis and Pergolas 10.50 - Influence and Legacy of Vozlic: - Pavements - Trees - Benches - Prolong Spaces onto the Water - Influence of Water Itself (i.e. Wave patterns, Cubes aligned along the flow of Stream, Sinusoidal Railings 10.60 - Mediterranean Life / Living, Working and Traveling by the Water 10.70 - New Aesthetics: Steel 11.00 - Generate New Energy 11.10 - Influence and Legacy of Plecnik II: Pillars, Terraces, Lamps, etc. 11.11 - Acupunctural Interventions 12.00 - In-Between Space 12.10 - Areas of Gatherings, Interactions and Learnings 12.11 - Rejuvenate River and its Embankments 12.12 - Link Small Businesses to River 12.13 - Blue Infrastructure (i.e. Water Bus, Swimming) 12.14 - New Vision / Big Ideas in Small Spaces 12.15 - Improve Daily Lives / Intervention in Public Domain 12.16 - Time and Space 12.17 - Cultural Aspect / Institutions 12.18 - Terraces

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personal maps iI

Title: Blue Infrastructure

Title: Green Infrastructure

Title: Slovenian Social Housing

Title: Age of Buildings

Title: Cult of Nature I

Title: Cult of Nature II

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used abused amused

born to be wild “We live in the cities, the cities live in us, time passes, we move from one city to another, from one country to another. We change languages, we change habits, we change opinions, and we change everything. Everything changes, and fast...” (Notebook on Cities and Clothes, Wim Wenders, 1989)

‘Used’: First Act dedicated to Producers, Users and Re-users [in this title, used is a reference to used by-products of the craftsmanship and the industry sector, as well as spatial users]. It is a manifestation of the history of the craftsmanship and industry in Slovenia and especially Ljubljana, and of the dialogues I had with the group of professional locals. ‘Abused’: Second Act devoted to the architectural metamorphosis that the city underwent throughout the years [in this title, Abused has no negative connotations but an expression to indicate strong changes that the city went through]. From the past utopias to contemporary urban strategies, it ends with a conversation with local architects, one of whom was responsible for the entire river embankments in the last 15 years. 'Amused': deals with my architectural proposal on the chosen site in Ljubljana. 'Invisible Bridge': a meeting point between craftsmanship and design, at the heart of the city center. It is a series of visible flexible qualitative spaces that house workshops, studios and showrooms. Aimed for a variety of small businesses and start-ups, it is a community of cross-disciplinary creativity, a symbiosis that is reflected in the design’s synergy with the environment that surrounds it. Along with private and shared housing, it recreates the essence of the lifestyle that was built around the Ljubljanica river. Within the private or shared work units, the meeting of the old and young will generate a new energy that brings back the apprenticeship and traditional learning systems into the 21st century. Moreover, by constructing it a level lower

than the current street level, it restores the connection between the buildings and the river and reintegrates the river within the urban fabric as a function rather than solely an aesthetic: as the intervention is dedicated to production and trades, the river will act as a blue infrastructure, a transportation route for the miscellaneous products as well as a transport route for the people and a connection between future river embankment renovation sites. Just like the bridges of the city itself, the project transcends a simple passage from point A to B, and houses areas of interactions and intersections between: living, artistry and business, to see and be seen, in a flow inspired by the fluid movement of the Ljubljanica river. ‘Invisible Bridge’ is composed of a permanent and temporary part. The permanent factor is the new platform at the river level, whilst the temporary aspect is the temporary markets on the square and the light-structure architectural intervention itself. The concrete platform will offer a stage for future competitions and interpretations of the site itself, whilst the steel and glass can be reused to conceive new spaces. In a city that speaks of dragons, myths, and legends, why shouldn’t its architecture be set as wild and free?

Title: High By the River

Title: Return of the Same

Title: River Show

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the site

Title: Plan Bird View

Title: 3D View

Title: Current Bird Eye View

Title: Ljubljana in the first half of the 13th century / Graphic reconstruction based on Florjancicevem map and available data on the medieval topography

Please Turn The Book

Title: Ljubljana Year 1600 Graphic Editing based on Etching

Title: Ljubljana Medieval with the walled enclosures

Title: Ljubljana Year 1765 / Graphic Editing based on a Painting

Title: Model by Matej Vozlic Contemporary Embankement Intervention Right Edge of the Site

Title: Existing Right Entrance to Site

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the strategy

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the Design

Title: Plan Bird View

Title: Intervention Grid

Title: Original Fragment and Street Lines

Title: Intervention Variations

Title: Volume Study

Title: Plan Study

Title: Plan Sketches

Title: Section Sketches

Title: Street Plan Scheme

Title: Ground Floor (River Level) Plan Scheme

Title: Section Scheme I

Title: Section Scheme II

Title: Secant Piles

Title: Structure Sections

Title: Floor Section

Title: Steel Sections

Title: Interior Circulation

Title: Interior Units

Title: Architectural Link to existing Embankement Renovation

Title: Program

Title: Ground Level Plan

Title: River Level Plan

Please Turn The Book

Title: Section through Residential Spaces

Please Turn The Book

Title: Section through Shared Workshop Spaces

Please Turn The Book

Title: Section through Restaurant

Please Turn The Book

Title: Section through Square

Title: Model Scale 1/200

Set it wild, set it free

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bibliography

Benyus, J., (2009) Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. New York: Harper Collins Balmori, D., (2010) A Landscape Manifesto. United States: Yale University Press Cook, P., (1999) Archigram. London/New York: Princeton Architectural Press Debord, G., (1967) La SociĂŠtĂŠ du Spectacle. France, BuchetChastel Franklin, U., (1999) The Real World of Technology. Canada: House of Anansi Marx, K., (1977) Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, Volume One. New York: Vintage Books. McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding media: The extensions of man. New York: McGraw-Hill Notebook on Cities and Fashion. (1989) [DVD]. Directed by Wim Wenders. France: Axiom Films Sadler S., (2005) Archigram: architecture without architecture, New York: MIT Press Swinburn, B., Eggar, G., & Raza., F. (1999). Dissecting obesogenic environments; the development and application of a framework for identifying and prioritizing environmental interventions for obesity. Preventive Medicine, 29(6), 563-570. Westwood, V., (2011) The Manifesto: Active Resistance to Propaganda. London: Kraken Sports and Media Limited

2017

tarek j waked