1st Prize at Invited Competition for SISKA Shopping centre was given to ATP Architects and Engineers. The highly mixed district of SISKA on the northern edge of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana is in a process of transformation. With very good transport connections, the shopping centre is located precisely at the point of entry to the city and, together with the other buildings on the site, will assume the role of a gateway to Ljubljana

1st Prize at Invited Competition for SISKA Shopping centre was given to ATP Architects and Engineers. The highly mixed district of SISKA on the northern edge of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana is in a process of transformation. With very good transport connections, the shopping centre is located precisely at the point of entry to the city and, together with the other buildings on the site, will assume the role of a gateway to Ljubljana.

The SISKA Shopping Centre represents a unique opportunity for the SISKA district. Shopping centres are often introverted buildings which are only integrated into their surroundings by means of optimal transport connections but, in the case of the SISKA Shopping Centre, the opposite is true. The key axes of the shopping centre are public and free of traffic. The square located in front of the main entrance acts to integrate the shopping centre into the public life of the district.

The SES Shopping Center Siska is an active participant in public life and the elements of the centre adjacent to the square will fill it with life. The “urban balconies” – which are home to a highly varied selection of gastronomical options – also offer a framework for the public activities which take place on the square. Visitors enter the mall through the jaws of the entrance to the rear of the public square. By carefully managing the positioning of the retail and restaurant elements of the centre, the design ensures that the square will remain busy long after the shops are closed. This avoids the danger of the square becoming a dark and lonely forecourt. The way in which the centre is integrated into the city varies according to the time of day. The evening atmosphere and the lighting and water effects guarantee both an unforgettable shopping experience and a special background to evening visits to the entertainment facilities in the centre. This is an urban experience which is only matched by the historic centre of Ljubljana itself.

The amorphous design of the building allows it to nestle comfortably into its urban context. Its edges are soft and enriched by a series of smaller public spaces. As visitors sweep across the large square and into the building the flowing threshold means that they are hardly aware of the main entrance as they pass through it. One moves through the entire complex in a similar fashion – with the secondary entrance to the supermarket being conceived as an extension of the natural movement between the square and the mall.

The SISKA Shopping Centre was conceived as a sustainable shopping centre which – besides taking into account the latest energy standards – also considered the CO2 neutrality of materials. The centre is also notable for the way in which it addresses issues of social sustainability. The forecourt becomes a public square. Plans are currently being developed for the incorporation of such elements as a medical centre, fitness facilities, kindergarten and library.

Project Information

Client: SES Spar European Shopping Centers, Austria, www.ses-european.com
GLA: 32.000 m2
specific areas: 6.000 m2
1,300 car parking spaces on two levels
50 spaces for women
approx. 90 shops
Wide range of leisure options at roof level
Public forecourt for events
“Urban balconies” with restaurants and bars
Approx. 700 jobs

Timetable:
Construction Start: Beginning 2011
Construction Period: approx. 18 months with up to
1,000 construction and other workers on site
Opening: September 2012

Team:
Design and project development: Robert Kelca, Marc Eutebach, Gerhard Oberrauch, Gerald Haselwanter