Vintgar Gorge visitor center

The log cabin from 1986, located in the area of the Triglav National Park with the third level of protection, was replaced by an entrance building that preserves the original dimensions and traditional qualities, upgrading them with a modern, refined and clear design. Half of the facade membrane is solid, the other half transparent. The visitors’ entrance leads through the glazed part. In this part the interior is completely connected with nature, the view opens up to the Radovna river and thus contributes to a magnificent welcome to the Vintgar Gorge. The renovation approach was based on the principle that everything that was of high quality and vital was preserved. The new wooden façade membrane embraces the preserved vital parts of the old structure, the lower, brick plinth is also completely preserved. All new materials and elements are based on modern ecological guidelines for natural wood processing. For the external walls a technology of wooden panels without the use of glue was implemented. All the wood used is exclusively Slovenian, the base is spruce with beech dowels, the system is free of glues or other chemical agents. The triple-glazed windows have spruce wooden frames. Both the facade and the roof shingles are carbonized burned wood, which is coated with natural pine resin, i.e. with a natural high water-repellent treatment. It is an old wood protection technology that was already used in construction in ancient Persia, and in shipbuilding once by the Vikings. Centuries ago, the technology of burning wood and pine resin was used in the Alpine world, as well as in Japan, Scandinavia, the Baltic countries and the USA. In all these countries, with the return to ecological and natural protection of wood, this technology began to be widely used again. Wood fungus or mold cannot develop on such wood, and it is also not attractive to termites and insects. If the pine resin is regenerated, it will remain dark, almost black, otherwise it will slowly lighten to brown and gray colours. As a contrast to the dark facade, the interior reflects warmth, with the use of Slovenian larch in its natural color, treated with oil. The design derives from the tradition of local alpine hayrack construction. The display shelves and the sales counter rest on wide accentuated verticals – columns. The surroundings of the building are designed to be natural, with minimal interventions in the existing environment. Special attention is given to minimizing the negative impact of the number of visitors on the sensitive natural environment.