L56 MULTIPURPOSE HALL
The project is an architectural intervention in an ex-industrial hall from the 1960s that is being transformed into a universal space for hosting different events – concerts, fairs, symposiums, etc. Owing to the large floor area of 2000 m2 and only a decaying roof that had to be replaced, the investment per m2 was relatively low. The project enables optimal function without a complete revamp, but with a fundamental intervention that transforms the hall and is not only rudimentary but also architectural.
The damaged original roof structure was replaced with a new one consisting of steel girders – a simple “technological object” that integrates lighting and installations that remain visible. The main interventions are two objects – one a thick wall with backstage spaces; the other a “ziggurat” with restrooms and a main foyer, and a floor that articulates a ‘raumplan’ with a bar on top that opens up onto the interior of the hall.
The structure consists of exposed brick walls with concrete floor slabs. The layer of silver colour, which negates the weight and tectonics of the structure, enhances the character of the simply executed objects. The reflection changes according to different lighting conditions. The rough materiality was chosen with the idea that the architecture should survive the imprecise execution and later unavoidable improvised upgrades that happen without any architectural input.
The exterior interventions consist of peeling away the old plaster and simply painting over the walls, which shows all the changes and scars that have developed over decades of use. In the interior, the original concrete window frames are preserved, with only a layer of polycarbonate – a “façade sticker’ – affixed on top of them. In much the same way the oversized aluminium doors were installed in the new openings towards the outside patio. Again, simple materiality that produces an architectural effect through a big gesture.
The architectural interventions on a large scale had to be physically and visually resistant enough to retain its formal autonomy – to counter the vast volume and the harsh roughness of an old ex-industrial hall on a low budget, an extremely short design time, and imperfect execution.
Project team: Anja Vidic, Jure Grohar, Žan Krivec, Nika Kovačič, Vanesa Maček
Ljubljana, 2022