© Miran Kambič

c Miran Kambič

Text description provided by the architects. The renovation of the Bank of Slovenia’s central lobby was designed at a student workshop at Ljubljana’s Faculty of architecture. The project was executed by SADAR+VUGA in close collaboration with the initial student design team.

Bank of Slovenia's headquarters are located on Slovenska Boulevard. The portal of the 1920s building is adorned by two mighty Atlants. Behind this impressive entrance is the central lobby of the Bank of Slovenia.

Floor Plan

Before the reconstruction it had the character of a publicly accessible, monofunctional bank hall: it hosted cashier desks and a mailroom. Despite its central location and formidable size, it was in no condition to host protocolar events.

A complex programmatic and spatial reconstruction made the lobby an interactive space, intended mainly for the Bank's employees. Here they can meet, work, socialise or greet their guests. The flexible design envisions both formal and informal usage, which is why the lobby becomes a strong identification point for its daily users as well as for the institution of the Bank of Slovenia.

© Miran Kambič

c Miran Kambič

The space is designed to provide the employees with a more relaxed, diverse and interactive work environment and at the same time create a protocolar space for Bank's official events. Combining the two created a space which offers strong identification for the employees as well as for the institution.

The monofunctional space became a frame within which several ambients and programs were layered. The new programmatic sections, incorporated in the niches, intertwine in a club-like ambient without strict programmatic boundaries. A soft curtain, that allows the users to regulate the level of intimacy, is the only physical boundary of the space.