Ljubljana has over 288.000 inhabitants today, with almost half living in modernist neighbourhoods built in the period between 1960 the up until the end of the 80s. Some of them have been, due to their exceptional architectural and urban features, identified as specific areas of the city of Ljubljana and as essential building blocks of its identity.
The present platform is intended to raise awareness of the general public about the characteristics and qualities of modernist residential architecture and urbanism of most recognisable neighborhoods in Ljubljana, Slovenia, which were already recognised by the expert community. In 2018, the quality and exceptional achievements of Yugoslav modernism, of which Slovene architecture from this period was also an important part, had received international attention through the exhibition Towards a Concrete Utopia: Architecture in Yugoslavia, 1945 – 1980 at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, USA.
This project addresses the pressing problems of residential multi-dwelling buildings and neighborhoods of the modernist period. The intention is to develop the general public’s abilities to appreciate this heritage as a tangible expression of the period of our recent past, the period of a highly socially oriented society. Recognising and consequently respecting the values of a particular building or neighborhood by the inhabitants are crucial for the proper approach towards their property. Also, the awareness of the importance of an individual attitude towards the shared space and consequently, its suitable use is vital for the establishment of a quality living environment. We believe that project as this one may contribute to a (gradual) transformation of the modernist neighborhoods, mainly degraded due to improper maintenance, into the attractive urban areas of high‐quality. The attention is drawn to the consequences of inappropriate interventions on buildings and in space through some examples of bad practice. On the other hand, some cases show possible ways, how modernist buildings or entire neighborhoods can be transformed into desirable places to live, and adapted to the modern way of life and new necessities, while at the same time maintaining their original concept and appearance, authenticity and integrity.
