New Air Traffic Control Center at the Ljubljana airport (ATCC), designed by the Sadar+Vuga studio from Ljubljana, has been officialy opened in May this year and since then awarded the ICONIC AWARD 2013 winner by the German Design Coucil, GOLDEN PENCIL 2013 for the excellent realization in the field of architecture and nominated for PIRANESI AWARD 2013.

New Air Traffic Control Center at the Ljubljana airport, comprising air control center with 24/7 amenities and office premises, is a highly demanding and complex object due to the nature of the institution it hosts. It is designed to enable safety and high operational activity as well as consistent comfort for visitors and staff 24 hours a day all year around.

The building is located in the middle of the plot, at the north there is a parking platform and at the south high vegetation of the garden. Within, the object is organized by five levels of security zones with access control at each passage. The further one moves from the rim that holds administrative and rest areas towards the centre of the object, the greater the security level of the areas. The compact design serves to enhance the operational efficiency of the object, paths are short and manageable. The clear division into a pentagonal head (control center) and two wings (offices and public program) provides easy orientation within. They are connected by a central multi-leveled area with an entrance lobby, restaurant, conference room and gym. The vertical hall is a place for meeting, informal socializing and communication.

The Center appears as a monolithic shell, opening towards outside only when necessary. Building is wrapped in belts of glazing and combined aluminium parapets and brise-soleils that regulate the intensity of heat and light transmission to the interior. The angle and the size of the brise-soleil are determined by the layout of the windows and the intensity of solar radiation related to it. The height of the parapet is determined by the interior of individual areas and the related wish for greater or lesser openings for views. The windows are made of bronze reflective glass mirroring the mountains in the surrounding. The beige and bronze colour coding of the façade visually reflects the building’s character of security and protection. The roof is rising in terraces, thus continuing the play of blinds and parapets on the facade, providing daylight to the interior areas, especially to the control room in the pentagonal core of the object.

Andreas Ruby, Quote from the jury report about the excellent realization of ATCC:

With their air traffic control centre building, Sadar+Vuga have achieved something incredible. They have managed to make a typology visible that normally does not register on the radar of our architectural culture. This structure wants you to look at it, and it looks at you: its meandering banded windows are crowned by obliquely cantilevering sunshade panels that read like eyelids. Inside, the porosity of the facade pays off in generously lit interiors, which yields another exotism – daylight in a control building. The atrium is a carefully sculpted well of light that you would expect in a cultural institution or high standard office building, and stands emblematic as an architectural strategy to overwrite the usual misery of this typology with an abundance of tectonic care and sensual consideration. This investment in design is no boutique-fetish, but acknowledges the exceptional kind of work of those who work there. Now, from the inside, you also understand the rationale for the design of windows and sunshades. The size of the window strip corresponds to the hierarchical importance of the program behind it.

Thanks to this primitive parametricism (Boštjan Vuga) the design of the building never slides off into arbitrariness and formalism, which you can better witness on site than from photographs. The building uses its form not as an end, but as a means to transform the conventions of its typology. It wants to restore cultural value and dignity to a type of building all too often treated as junk or inconsequential space. One could easily (mis)take it for a cultural or public building, but that’s exactly the effect the architects worked to generate with their design: to make us reconsider the role of such buildings for our cities and endow them with a greater mission and ambition.

Source: Sadar+Vuga.

Not so long ago hotel Topazz, a new spatial structure that reflects feelings and the atmosphere of its surroundings, enriched the city of Vienna, the capital of Austria. This sculptural form is a combination of bold ideas of BWM Architekten und Partner and interior designer Michael Manzenreiter.

Situated in the very center of the city, the design hotel Topazz is far from something ordinary. This urban corner situated in HoherMarkt, Vienna’s oldest plaza, is presented to its public in a completely new form. By discarding the limitations of creation, this space presents a completely new architectural vision that instantly attracts and overpowers.

The façade, mosaic made of tiny specs, becomes a scene of borrowed impressions by reflecting the mood of the city while shaping the reactions of the observers. By displaying the near surroundings, this glamour form becomes a stage of life passing by. The façade, being a witness of a constant movement, seems alive while melting into the flow of the city.

The fluid surface of the façade is intercepted by oval windows shaped in a form of massive frames that capture a moment in which interior and exterior complement each other. During the day, these windows take a bit of the outside atmosphere and lend the sensation to the guests inside, while at night they become a scene of the inside silhouettes passing by. Glowing with amber light, they seem like sparkling gems. This resemblance is just what named the hotel Topazz (topaz is an elegant gem of wide color spectrum).

Carefully positioned, windows appear to be complementing the vertical dynamic of nearby roof tops. Observed from the inside, these oval structures become a spatial escape meant to slow down and relax. The natural curve of these window sill divans, shaped by the contour of the body, make you feel embraced within this spectacular form.

The specific gallery-like geometry of interior space enables interweaving of different activity. The floating geometry of the foyer, pierced by vertical voids, is a creative combination of style and vision enriched by luminous details and harmonic earthly color scheme.Shaped like an interior terrace, this foyer covers the restaurant on the floor below. These vertical pockets of air exchange the sounds and impressions of two areas of different activities. The very harmony of interior scene is highlighted by this embrace.

Specific by its visual appearance, hotel Topazz is more than just an impressive sight. Being packed on the city’s smallest building siteof only 153 square meters, building is also designed with the environment in mind. This structure of contemporary design approach, besides the combination of elegance, style and comfort, also fulfills the energy efficiency standards by achieving a CO2 savings of nearly 50%. But its green initiative is not only displayed within its form and used materials, but in a wide range of organic delicacies as a synonym of a quality life.

Text and photos: Milena Vučković

This summer a new design hotel was open in Ljubljana – Hotel Vander, whose design is the work of the famous Slovenian architecural office Sadar+Vuga. The hotel is located in the historic centre of Ljubljana, right next to the Ljubljanica river and on one of the busiest pedestrian paths in the town.

The hotel is constructed within the interior space of four historic adjacent buildings. Because of this specific location and conditions, the design of the building plan is spread vertically, with a ground floor space that serves as the main public part of the building and contains the reception, restaurant and bar/lounge areas. The next three levels are organised around a vertical atrium with stairs and contain 16 rooms. The top floor of the hotel includes a glasshouse with a large open terrace and pool.

The exterior facade of the building remains untouched and preserved. Conversely, upon entrance to the hotel you enter a new identifiable area that is the innovative space of Hotel Vander. The design of the hotel was based upon the kaleidoscopic play of 3D patterns in different materials, and reflections that extend the borders of the constructed space. The space created inside appears almost endless. Due to the reflections created inside the building, the visitor becomes a part of the interior.

The rooms inside the hotel are designed with light colours, textile floors and contain glass partition walls to the bathrooms. Inovative interior design and detailing allowed for maximum use of relatively small surface areas. Rooms appear to be more like homely living rooms, due to custom designed furniture pieces such as the black tables and mirrored wish box with mini bar.

A special feature of the hotel is the long terrace with wooden decking and swimming pool. Intended for the relaxation od guest, the wooden deck allows spectacular view of the picturesque roofs of old Ljubljana. Here also the space appears to extend, mostly thanks to the “endless” pool that seems to overflow over the terrace edge. This whole ambient presents an oasis of peace and tranquility right above the busy and buzzing pedestrian zone of old Ljubljana.

All the floors inside the building are interconnected with a vertical hall that also serves as a light shaft. In addition the northern wall of the atrium is cladded with a hanging metal curtain which allows light to diffuse inside the core of the building.

Photos: David Lotrič and Miran Kambič

All photos and drawings courtesy of Sadar+Vuga

Yet another manifestation worthy of our attention, held as part of Vienna Design Week, gave us the extraordinary overall impression and caused an unusual feeling within its audience. The exhibition that says – come, see, feel, touch – is an original presentation of sea elements shaped in a specific and poetic way. Simply said – this is an unusual display guided by indefatigable strength of imagination.

This exhibition presented within vast glass walls of Kunsthalle (literally “Space for art”) is a work and vision of multidisciplinary designer Julia Lohmann. Julia Lohmann is a professor at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg where she restlessly develops a completely new world of magic intended for all. At the same time she is a researcher at the Department of Design Products at the Royal College of Art in London. Her research is currently focused on development of materials and shapes made from kelp.

This successful designer of bold ideas constantly explores contemporary issues such as the relationship of man and nature, with an accent on animal world, that guides her work towards exploring her own personality. Constant dilemmas within a human being are turned into an artistic expression and are meant for questioning our own emotions. Sometimes meant to appall, her design is above all surreal. And the exhibition itself presents a mystical scene that will take us away from the real world by moving us into the deep blue sea.

The displayed moment of inspiration, that possesses a certain specific strength, is a reinterpretation of her “giving value to leftovers“ motto. Sea weeds are placed by one another in a form of a cover onto the bearing structure made from metal, fiberglass or wood. The process of forming unusual structures by connecting those carefully prepared “sea strings“ might seem as the product of a pure coincidence. But in reality, with a careful study of the very nature of used material, Julia Lohmann has learned how to “listen“ and feel the movement and the behavior of nature thus guiding her work in desired direction. In every moment she possesses the control over the form that gives her unlimited possibilities of form-making. Every design becomes a possibility that erases the line between the reality and imagination. Her sculptures become silent story-tellers of hidden secrets written within the great waves of the sea, making some ordinary things come to life – from luminaires to everyday hats. In the variety of design expressions Julia Lohmann also generated a unique-looking fabric made of kelp that resembles the soft nature of leather by its texture and structure.

This revolutionary employment of unusual natural material presents one step further in a constant battle over usage of environment-threatening products. Making us think “green“, Julia Lohmann started her own battle for the well being of our planet.

For more information about Julia Lohmann please visit http://www.julialohmann.co.uk/

Text and photos: Milena Vučković

The Vienna design week is being held from September 28th to October 7th, for the fifth consecutive  year.  Yet another exquisite and colourful programme of events awaits the visitors this fall, with the aim to show and enable people to experience the many-faceted creative work in the fields of product, furniture and industrial design as well as experimental design. Design has been and is an important field in the production of culture: it shapes our material culture, our everyday life and our consumer world, it influences our lifestyles and fashions and most fundamentally our aesthetic sense and judgements.

The festival’s events are scattered all over the city and organized in cooperation with many partners – from Vienna museums to production and retail companies to designers from all over the world. A large number of shops takes part in the festival by offering their customers special deals on designer furniture and products.

The festival aims to reveal creative and production processes and encourage experimental work on the spot. It also presents and promotes design that in the first instance withdraws from the scheme of utility value and functionality in order to create awareness and pose questions or also simply just to have fun.

With exhibitions, venue-specific installations, workshops, lectures, discussion events, a programme of films and, of course, enough opportunity to party and network, Vienna design week  is not only an attraction for the international design scene but most explicitly also aims to interest and appeal to a wide public audience of Viennese and visitors to Vienna.

One of the main venues of the festival is Jean Nouvel’s Stilwerk building. The events in this space are connected through the common topic od recycling and reusing old and discarded objects to create new products. This weekend Stilwerk was home to the Misfits Revisited workshop, headed by the Viennese design group breadedEscalope. Earlier this year breadedEscalope began an experiment investigating the products, employees and brand of the long established company of Thonet. The cooperation does not work on the basis of a briefing but on the freedom of communicating an analysis of the form, material, tradition and processes involved in inventing a product. The visitors could, within the framework of the workshop, create or re-create their own “Thonet” out of discarded pieces from the Thonet factory, and take their creation home.

Zurich designers Atelier Volvox rescued these unloved plush toys and gave them a new lease of life by turning them inside out – eyes and all. Samuel Coendet and Lea Gerber collected the toys from second-hand shops and forgotten corners of nursery schools before cutting them open to reverse the fur. The Outsiders toys received one of the awards at the Vienna design week.

For the impressions and photos of the events we hereby thank Milena Vučković

World’s leading interior design magazine FRAME, together with the firm Moooi, known as creators of some of most inspiring designed furniture, are organizing again  this year the competition for FRAME Moooi Design Award 2013 – calling professional architects and designers to enter with their products realized between 1st January, 2011, and 1st September, 2012.

Competition is dealing with design of interiors, furniture and lamps – designed for public or commercial spaces, like hotels, restaurants, bars, schools, etc.

The competition brief emphasizes that entry products must be custom-designed for a specific interior. Considering the cutting edge approach to design both Dutch brands are known for, it is easy to predict that beauty and uniqueness will be highly appreciated.

Last year’s completion was very successful with a total of 890 entries from 79 countries that were submitted and famous Philippe Starck as a juror. The winner received cash prize of 25.000 EURO, that have been claimed this year too.

Frame Moooi Award is accepting applications until 1 December, 2012. For all details visit their official website http://www.framemoooi.com/home

U sklopu Evropske godine kreativnosti i inovacija (2009.), Bureau of European Design Associations (BEDA) je proglasio 1. oktobar za European Design Day.

Osnovna ideja obeležavanja ovog datuma je želja da se istakne važnost dizajna kao značajnog inovacionog pokretača evropske industrije.

Više na adresi BEDA.

Danas, kada se stambena izgradnja zasniva u najvećem delu na tržišnim zakonitostima, praktično ne postoji nikakav važeći i obavezujući pravilnik ili drugi sličan dokument, kojim bi se jasno definisali minimumi ili optimumi prostornih uslova za normalan život ljudi. Kvalitet primenjenih rešenja ima trend stalnog opadanja, tako da smo suočeni sa apsurdnom činjenicom da je nivo koji su imali stanovi izgrađeni pre tridesetak godina za današnje pojmove nedostižan. Razlozi za takva kretanja nisu samo ekonomske prirode, već su i posledica diskontinuiteta projektantske aktivnosti, koja dostignuti nivo nije uspela da održi tokom krize devedesetih godina, budući da opšteprihvaćeni postulati uređenja prostora nisu bili pretočeni u obavezujuće norme.

Studija o životnom standardu 2002/2007. [1] pokazuje da je struktura i opremljenost stanova siromašnih domaćinstava značajno lošija u odnosu na domaćinstva iznad granice siromaštva (koja većinom stanuju u objektima izgrađenim osamdesetih i sedamdesetih godina dvadesetog veka – periodu koji navodimo kao vreme uređene stambene izgradnje). Studija pokazuje trend porasta udela novoizgrađenih stanova u ukupnom broju, te je stoga važno što pre urediti ovu oblast, kako se ne bi uvećavao fond neuslovnih objekata.

[1] Studija o životnom standardu, Srbija 2002 – 2007. Beograd: Republički zavod za statistiku Srbije, 2008.