Architects Matija Bevk, Vasa Perović and Andrej Ukmar are the recipients of this year's Plečnik Award for the Situla, a luxurious residential complex in the centre of Slovenia's capital.
Situla is a top architectural creation, the jury selecting this year's Plečnik Award winners, the highest accolade for architecture in Slovenia, said as the awards were conferred on Monday.
Considering the limiting conditions that the nearby central railway station and the surroundings of the buildings are providing, the architects have set a standard for further development of the area, they argued.
Architects have a very responsible job since they answer not only to their clients but to the society as a whole, Culture Minister Uroš Grilc said on the occasion and added that their ideas affect public space and influence everyone's lives.
Situla, the biggest residential development to be completed in Ljubljana in recent years, is located right next to the rail yard in Ljubljana and has 226 housing units stretching over 18,000 m2 plus about 12,000 m2 in commercial area.
It is currently mostly empty as bankruptcy of the principal contractor in 2012 delayed completion, but the project was eventually rescued by the main financier, Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank and the apartments are now on sale.
Besides the Plečnik Award, the lesser Plečnik Medals were presented to the designers of the Brnik air traffic control centre and for the renovation of the Dominican Monastery in the medieval town of Ptuj.
The Plečnik Medal for lifelong contribution to architecture was conferred to Andrej Hrausky and Majda Cajnko for managing the Dessa Gallery. Nataša Koselj was given the scientific publication award for a monograph on architect Danilo Fürst.
Plečnik awards are conferred by the Jože Plečnik Fund, named after famed architect Jože Plačnik (1872-1957).
Source: Slovenia Times
