Cultural Buildings on Edvard Kardelj Square in Nova Gorica

You are kindly invited to an architectural tour of the cultural buildings on Edvard Kardelj Square in Nova Gorica. Architect Robert Potokar will guide us on a unique journey through spaces that connect key points on the square – from the France Bevk Library, through the SNG Nova Gorica building, to the newly constructed outdoor auditorium of SNG Nova Gorica. These important public institutions, lined along the square, are visually and spatially unified by the motif of ground-floor arcades.

The France Bevk Library, the starting point of the tour, stands out with its clearly defined spaces dedicated to cultural education and leisure. Its design is marked by clear, dynamic, and clean lines. Architecturally, it carries a strong message, as it represents a key element in the urban fabric of Nova Gorica. Symbolically, it marks the end of an axis that connects two important public spaces of the twin cities – Travnik in the historical center of Gorizia and the “green” square in front of the municipal palace in Nova Gorica.

The tour will then continue through the SNG Nova Gorica theatre building. This theatre complex with its accompanying program is the only and final architectural work of Vojteh Ravnikar and his team in the postmodern style. Ravnikar began designing the building in 1987, at the peak of postmodernism in both architecture and theatre in Slovenia. It was completed in 1994, by which time the enthusiasm for historical revival had begun to wane and the social context of the newly independent state was already seeking new directions.

The SNG Nova Gorica Auditorium, the final stop of the architectural walk, is both functionally and architecturally connected to the existing theatre building. In addition to the covered stage, the program includes supporting underground spaces (dressing rooms, restrooms, make-up rooms), public toilets, technical areas, a café with a terrace and all necessary communications. In the next phase, the auditorium will be covered with a metal canopy structure.