Zupančičeva Jama Mixed-Use Residential and Commercial District

The Zupančičeva Jama Mixed-Use Residential and Commercial District reflects the changes taking place in both architectural and urban planning practice and society during the 1980s. Architecture and urban planning were rediscovering the importance of spatial context and reviving, in an updated form, the principles of the historic city with clearly defined public spaces – streets, squares and parks. Strict functional zoning into business centres and residential neighbourhoods was replaced by a mix of uses, complemented by smaller-scale retail, hospitality and services. Instead of constructing large housing estates on the urban periphery, development increasingly focused on the reurbanisation of smaller, underused areas within the existing urban fabric.

Responding to the morphological characteristics of its surroundings, Zupančičeva Jama is organically integrated into the city. Its urban composition draws on elements of Fabiani’s and Plečnik’s ideas for the development of this part of Ljubljana. The continuation of the traditional perimeter-block city south of the railway with a modernised perimeter-block structure to the north helps reduce the perception of the railway as a barrier. Residents’ parking is located underground, while visitor parking is arranged along the streets, where traffic is deliberately calmed through road narrowing. Green spaces and children’s playgrounds occupy the safe and quiet interiors of the blocks and are complemented by a public park along Linhartova Street. Commercial premises line the streets at ground-floor level, while slightly raised private gardens are located within the blocks.

The hierarchy and diversity of urban spaces and architecture facilitate orientation and create a varied experience of the neighbourhood.

Design chronology

The basis for the urban development of the area was the SMERI proposal, awarded first prize in the 1984 urban and architectural competition for Južni Bežigrad, by Andrej Černigoj and Mojca Švigelj Černigoj. The proposal reconciled the area’s different radial development directions with the orientation of Emona and Dunajska Street and the line of the southern railway cutting, bringing them together in the new Severni Park.

In a subsequent competition in 1985 for the smaller area of present-day Zupančičeva Jama, two second prizes were awarded: to the MODRO proposal by P. Pahor, which introduced the concept of the small urban block, and the SONCE proposal by J. Bevk, M. Mrva and V. Brezar for the residential development. The ČETRT proposal by Andrej Černigoj and Mojca Švigelj Černigoj, based on the concept of the large urban block, received third prize.

A synthesis of the three awarded proposals was developed into the BS 2/1 Zupančičeva Jama Development Plan, adopted in 1987 and prepared by LUZ under the project leadership of architect Andrej Černigoj.

Construction was subsequently carried out by SCT Stanovanjski inženiring in collaboration with the urban planning institute and the land development company. The architecture of the individual buildings was designed by several architects: V. Brezar designed the residential development within the four urban blocks; M. Marinčič, T. Medvešček and B. Kolenc the commercial buildings in the northern part; and Andrej Černigoj and Mojca Švigelj Černigoj the commercial and residential buildings in the southern part, including the development along Vilharjeva Street and the pavilions in the park and central area.