Pavilion on the riverbank of Ljubljanica river
The new location of the awarded pavilion
The primary location of the pavilion was at the Petkovškovo embankment in Ljubljana where it was mounted in the year 2007 as the first spatial intervention on the riverbanks of Ljubljanica after decades of its negligence. As a temporary public space, the pavilion has been created as an element of an urban equipment.
The goal of the project was to activate the ambiences around the river Ljubljanica which was physically and programmatically separated from the city ground floor and to research the response of the visitors with concrete example. As the popularity of the place grew, other projects started to rise along the river embankments. We may say that it was the pilot project of the contemporary rearrangement of the Ljubljanica embankments.
Water pavilion has been intended for periodic cultural events and for all visitors who want to spend their leisure time by the river. The most popular was the »Library under the treetop« which enabled the visitors to read in quietness enjoing the view of the river under the green roof of the pavilion. It has been well accepted among people of every generation, especially among those in love who find here a moment of intimacy hidden from the street.
In the year 2012 the pavilion has been awarded (together with other projects along the river) with the prestigue "European Prize for Urban Public Space 2012" award.
Due to the new rearrangement of the Petkovšek embankment, the pavilion has been removed and reassembled again at the other location, near the new pedestrian bridge on Lipičeva street in the year 2014.
The new location of the pavilion has already become very popular among visitors and patients since nearby hospitals hadn't have any outside place for the relaxation near the river until now.
Montage construction, composed of six steel curved beams, unites several particular elements – the bench, the fence, the platform and the roof. Formally, the shape of the pavilion is adjusted to the site's terrain configuration and with precise positioning it enables undisturbed views from street level toward the other side of the river. The final image of the ambience isn't determined by the steel structure alone. It will be concluded with the Virginia creeper plant which will gradually overgrow the construction and create a green or, in autumn, a red cloud over the river.
