architecture
CSGM - Maribor hearing & speech center
2nd PRIZE AT AN OPEN PUBLIC COMPETITION
location
MARIBOR, SLOVENIJA
project year
2023
client
MUNICIPALITY OF MARIBOR
authors
ŽIGA KREŠEVIČ, univ.dipl.inž.arh.
UROŠ LOBNIK, univ.dipl.inž.arh.
DAVID MIŠIČ, univ.dipl.inž.arh.
SAŠO ŽOLEK, mag.inž.arh.
GORAN PIRŠIĆ, dipl.inž.arh.
DAVOR FISTRIČ, dipl.inž.arh.
MAJA ŽALIK, dipl.inž.arh.
ANA ŽIDANIK, dipl.inž.arh.
technology
BOŠTJAN ŠVENT, univ.dipl.ing.gr.
fire protection & safety
PETRA GERŠAK KLANEČEK, univ.dipl.ing.gr.
landscape design
ALEŠ KOPRIVŠEK, u.d.i.k.a.
civil engineering
DOMEN GRADIŠNIK, univ.dipl.ing.gr.
mechanical engineering
DAMIR JURAK, univ.dipl.ing.str.
electrical engineering
ERVIN KREITNER, univ.dipl.inž.el..
traffic, communal services
OLGA VANEČEK, dipl.ing.gr.
scope of work
COMPETITION ENTRY
The competition area within the former military barracks at Tabor is located in the immediate vicinity of the city center and represents one of the most important areas of urban regeneration in Maribor.
The complex of the Austro-Hungarian barracks began to be developed in 1885. Even before 1897, a complex of warehouses and bakeries was built in the area, called the “Imperial Royal Military Supply Warehouse.” In 1910, an artillery barracks was built in the northern part, which is the only authentic building still standing today. After Slovenia gained independence, the barracks were abandoned, and the city council decided to redevelop the entire area into a secondary education center (expanding the educational areas towards the south, initially built south of Magdalena Park).
In the regeneration process that began in the 1990s, only the former artillery barracks building (now the MOST Institute building) in the northwest corner along Paris Commune Street has been preserved on the former barracks site. The former artillery barracks building has been designated as a protected cultural heritage site since 2022 (under EŠD 30918). It has great potential for transformation into a youth cultural center, which would complement the largest secondary and university campus from Magdalena Park to the new Center for Hearing and Speech. The cultural center would contribute to the development of cultural life in Maribor. In addition to cultural activities, the building could also provide space for education, offer opportunities for creativity, expression of ideas, and development of personal interests. With minimal resources, the building could operate as an artistic and cultural generator with a significant impact on the social development of young people.
The central buildings of the barracks were reconstructed and expanded in the 1990s to accommodate the Maribor School of Design and the Piramida Educational Center. Through renovation and redesign, the buildings retained part of their historical appearance and maintained the spatial context of the former barracks.
The competition proposal is articulated as an expanded urban park. The Youth Park is one of the larger public green areas in the wider city area. From here, there are quality views of the Pohorje Mountains and the Piramida hill along the axis of Žitna Street. The comprehensive landscape architectural design of the area follows modern programmatic and design principles for open space planning. The competition area is thematically divided into northern and southern park sections, separated by the existing secondary school buildings.