Joint project of notable Slovenian architect bureaus, uniting their efforts in AZZV (Architectural association for Vitanje)

In 2006, in Vitanje (North-Northeast Slovenia), a memorial center, dedicated to Herman Potočnik Noordung, pioneer of spaceflight, was established. The latest plans for Vitanje and Potočnik memorial site also include revitalizing of The Vitanje House of Culture grounds into KSEVT (Cultural Centre of European Space Technologies). Design for it is a joint project of notable Slovenian architect bureaus, uniting their efforts in AZZV (Architectural association for Vitanje) – Bevk Perovič, Dekleva Gregorič, Ofis and Sadar + Vuga architect bureaus have all connected for a public tender and came out with the best solution.

The main demands of the project materialisation were to get a wide scale of ideas, thus making the building, on one hand, interact with the urbanistic structure of the town, and on the other hand, making the project symbolize its cause. The placement of the modern KSEVT architecture in the old town center of Vitanje was the more challening part of the project. According to Srečko Fijavž, keeper of the Noordung memorial room and the director of The Vitanje Commune Administration Board, many cultural heritage regulations had to be considered during the process of planning.

The original KSEVT project terms were influenced by two basic ideas.Firstly – Herman Potočnik Noordung and his geostationary space station, of which the three segments – rotating habitable wheel, solar power plant and observatory – were all embedded in the structural design.Secondly – adaptability of the building to both local needs as well as the needs of the future Cultural Center of European Space Technologies. The existing object (The Vitanje House of Culture) will be removed, yet the revitalization will also cover the wider area around the premises.

KSEVT will eventually operate on two levels: architecture, based on the spatial dynamics; programme, already organised for the timeline of the following six years.

Architecture

• The first level of the building is dedicated to the town of Vitanje which needs a cultural center on a social, citizen scale.
• The second, local, community level, is bound to the events area with a 300 seats auditorium. Around this hall, in an oval shape trajectory, the local library will find its place.
• The third level shall host gallery and museum activities on a surface of 800 m2.
• The fourth level, the symposium, foundation part of the building, is intended for specialists, doctors of science and arts and researchers visiting Vitanje in search for work and study facilities.

To sum up, the lower two levels deal with topics of local significance and will be under The Vitanje Commune’s management. The upper two levels host topics of planetary, universal nature and will be led by an institute or a foundation, appointed with the help of Slovenian universities, ZRC SAZU (The Scientific Research Center of The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts) and SZF (The Slovenian Science Foundation).

Link to Zavod BIG here.