How Velenje Promenada Brought Light and Sunshine Back to the City

Velenje City Center Pedestrian Zone Promenada, by ENOTA, in Velenje, Slovenia. As a central axis to the fifth-largest town in Slovenia, the Velenje “Promenada” is quickly becoming an important space in the young garden city. Built in the 1950s on the Modernist’s ideal, the city is one of only a few modernistic cities in Europe, and this latest installation by ENOTA continues to follow these ideals and is representative of the city’s commitment to revitalizing the city center. After a fire destroyed the original city in 1801, it seemed that the remaining 364 inhabitants might be the last. But by the end of the 19th century, the town began to have hopes of revitalization after a coal mine opened on the city’s outskirts. But it wasn’t until after 1950, when there was an increased demand for coal, that an actual, modern town was needed. THE DIRECTOR OF RUDNIK VELENJE, Mr. Nestl Žgank assembled a team of design engineers for the Slovenija project, Ljubljana, led by architect Janez Trenz, who started developing plans for a modern town that would accommodate approximately 30,000 residents. Žgank’s motto of “… the dwelling places of miners, who spend half of the day underground, should be filled with light and sunshine…” resulted in both a modern and contemporary town, with buildings situated in large, green areas, known as a town-in-a-park.

Velenje City Center Pedestrian Zone Promenada

Transforming a Road into an Intimate Path

It was with this in mind that designers at ENOTA began the process of transforming an existing promenade that was created almost 30 years ago when a road was closed. Despite a repaving of the area, it still looked very much like a road, and designers were tasked with making it fit into the modern character of the city, allow for expansion, supply the city with missing programs, and thus bring culture back to the town center.

They also had to accomplish all of this while also adding green spaces to the city, keeping in line with the garden city ideal. They did this by creating a narrow, twisting path that leads users through small, intimate, green spaces situated among existing buildings and eventually opens out onto a larger, contained open space filled with trees, which will also allow for future expansion of buildings or other spaces. At the center of the design is a narrow bridge and white concrete amphitheater that overlooks the river Paka, which at times can be torrential, as it swells significantly several times a year. But most of the time it is calm and shallow. Recommended Reading:

• Urban Design  by Alex Krieger
• The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods (Second Edition) by Urban Design Associates

Embracing the River

Before the Promenada was redone, a wide bridge crossed over the river, which eventually flowed out of sight somewhere beneath it. The designers realized that most passersby probably didn’t even notice the river when on the bridge, and knew that it should be the focal point of the city. See More Pedestrian Inspired Designs:

• Place Lazare Goujon is Once Again Dedicated to Pedestrians
• The ChonGae Canal Turns an Auto-Centric Zone into a Pedestrian Haven
• Top 10 Pedestrian Bridges

They narrowed the bridge and displaced its location from its former axis, allowing for the creation of the amphitheater, which slowly slopes to the river’s edge, making it a part of the city once again. THE AMPHITHEATER WAS DESIGNED with the life of the river in mind and is meant to accommodate the temporary flooding that occurs periodically. When the river isn’t raging, the amphitheater has become the center of cultural activity in the city, offering live entertainment throughout the year. THE ENTIRE SPACE HAS A MODERN FEEL, accentuated by the stark white found in the concrete set against the backdrop of the green of the large surrounding trees. Clean lines found in both the amphitheater seating and the glass railing on the bridge lead viewers’ eyes to the river and don’t compete with its natural beauty. Wooden accents are reminiscent of the sawmills and wood-processing plants that were once at the center of trade and commerce in Velenje, and further show the careful thought the designers put into this project. The project was shortlisted for the Plečnlk Award in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2015. According to their website, “ENOTA’s team of architects focuses on research-driven design of the environment where study of contemporary social organizations and use of new technologies are interwoven to produce innovative and effective solutions.” The Promenada is an excellent example of this.

Taking a Page from History

Researching not only the site but also the history of the area is what led to the success of this transformation. The city of Velenje has a colorful and varied history, but also a very straightforward design intention based on the political views of its residents.

THE DESIGNERS AT ENOTA were able to incorporate all of this into a project that is truly bringing this city back into the modern era. And as Director Žgank called for some 65 years ago, this new Promenada has once again brought light and sunshine back into the lives of the residents of Velenje. What other spaces can you think of that have fulfilled a city’s design intentions? Do you think this design is a success?

Full Project Credits For Velenje City Center Pedestrian Zone Promenada

Project: Velenje City Center Pedestrian Zone Promenada Dates: 2012-2014 Size: 17,020 square meters Budget: 2,700,000 EUR Client: Velenje Municipality Location: Velenje, Slovenia Architect: ENOTA Project Team: Dean Lah, Milan Tomac, Tjaž Bauer, Andrej Oblak, Polona Ruparčič, Nuša Završnik Šilec, Alja Černe, Nebojša Vertovšek Structural Engineering: Elea iC, Nom biro Electrical Planning: Elsing Photos: Miran Kambič Recommended Reading:

• Urban Design  by Alex Krieger
• The Urban Design Handbook: Techniques and Working Methods (Second Edition) by Urban Design Associates

Article by Erin Tharp Return to Homepage

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