Preserve the memory with a new heart. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab
16/08/2022.
[Ljubljana] Slovenia
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
metalocus, ADELA BONAS
CUKRARNA is a multi-functional space for contemporary art designed by Scapelab architects. It sits on the ruins of an important heritage building, a former sugar refinery, built in 1828, located at the riverside of the Ljubljanica river, as it passes through the City of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.
Cukrarna Gallery is a new cultural space that began life in 1828 as a sugar refinery. Starting with just 22 workers and a single sugar kettle, it grew rapidly over the following decades to become the first proper factory in the region and, by the mid-19th century, the biggest sugar refinery in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Its fate was sealed on 25 August 1858, however, when a devastating fire broke out and put an end to sugar production in Ljubljana.
Later during its' two-hundred-year history, it was also a tobacco factory, a textile factory, a military barracks, and a homeless shelter. It was also a temporary home for many poets and writers from Slovenia's Modern period. Thanks to, its significance as a monument of 19th-century industry, and its rich history, - firmly anchored in the Slovenian citizens' subconscious as a cultural symbol, was listed as a protected building.
Cukrarna Gallery is a new cultural space that began life in 1828 as a sugar refinery. Starting with just 22 workers and a single sugar kettle, it grew rapidly over the following decades to become the first proper factory in the region and, by the mid-19th century, the biggest sugar refinery in the Austro-Hungarian empire. Its fate was sealed on 25 August 1858, however, when a devastating fire broke out and put an end to sugar production in Ljubljana.
Later during its' two-hundred-year history, it was also a tobacco factory, a textile factory, a military barracks, and a homeless shelter. It was also a temporary home for many poets and writers from Slovenia's Modern period. Thanks to, its significance as a monument of 19th-century industry, and its rich history, - firmly anchored in the Slovenian citizens' subconscious as a cultural symbol, was listed as a protected building.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Site plan. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Ground floor plan. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Basement floor plan. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Mezzanine floor plan. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
First floor plan. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Second floor plan. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Cross section. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Cross section. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Cross section. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Longitudinal section. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Axonometric structure. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
Detail. Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab.
In 2009 the City Municipality of Ljubljana organized an international competition for the renovation of the building won by Scapelab, with the proposal to preserve the historic envelope, and convert the building into a multi-functional venue for exhibiting contemporary art and as a place where explored and develop contemporary art projects of all kinds – visual, intermedia, performance, sound, music and more – can be created and presented.
The appearance of the original roof and exterior walls with its 318 windows has been preserved. The ground floor is an extension of the urban public space. Upon entering, visitors realize the gigantic dimensions of the old factory. The gallery volumes, designed as "white cube" galleries, levitate above the ground floor, hanging from the steel structure of the roof, which does not come into contact with either the ground or the exterior walls.
The building has a newly excavated basement, which houses a space dedicated to the performing arts, ticket offices, technical spaces and workshops for the preparation of exhibitions. The gallery bar is projected as a sound stage, becoming a jazz club and live music venue at night.
The appearance of the original roof and exterior walls with its 318 windows has been preserved. The ground floor is an extension of the urban public space. Upon entering, visitors realize the gigantic dimensions of the old factory. The gallery volumes, designed as "white cube" galleries, levitate above the ground floor, hanging from the steel structure of the roof, which does not come into contact with either the ground or the exterior walls.
The building has a newly excavated basement, which houses a space dedicated to the performing arts, ticket offices, technical spaces and workshops for the preparation of exhibitions. The gallery bar is projected as a sound stage, becoming a jazz club and live music venue at night.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
Project description by Scapelab
Cukrarna is a former sugar refinery, built in 1828 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. During its' two-hundred-year history, it was a sugar refinery, destroyed in a disastrous fire, and later a tobacco factory, a textile factory, a military barracks, and a homeless shelter. It was also a temporary home for many poets and writers from Slovenia's Modern period, which was key to establishing Slovenia as an independent nation. Due to its significance as a monument of 19th-century industry, it has been listed as a protected building, and due to its rich history, it is firmly anchored in the Slovenian nations' subconscious as a cultural symbol.
In 2009 the City Municipality of Ljubljana organized an international competition to find the best proposal for the renovation of this national monument. Scapelab won the competition with the key idea to carve out all internal structures of the building, preserving only the historical envelope, and converting the building into a multi-functional space for contemporary art.
The ground floor is an extension of urban public space, accessible to all, free of charge. Upon entering, visitors are made aware of the gargantuan dimensions of the former factory. The gallery volumes, designed as »white cube« galleries, levitate above the ground floor, hanging from the steel roof structure. They are separated from the historic envelope by a visible gap and are wrapped in perforated, sleek metal skin, contrasting the concrete walls of the historic envelope.
The perforated skin is an aesthetic device, visibly marking the new volumes – but also a functional element. It is an acoustic dampener, reducing reverberation, which makes it possible to hold concerts in the main hall; it is also a lighting fixture, and an HVAC distribution system.
The building has a newly excavated basement, which holds a dedicated space for performance art, lockers, technical spaces, and workshops for preparing exhibitions. The gallery bar is designed as a sound stage, becoming a jazz club and live music venue in the evening.
The gallery spaces are designed as "white cube" galleries of different proportions. In key positions, the gallery spaces are transparent, showing the visitors new perspectives of the interior space. Part of the gallery spaces is also dedicated as a space for education, lectures, and children’s workshops.
Cukrarna Space for Contemporary Art by Scapelab. Photograph by Miran Kambič.
The New Cukrarna represents a revolutionary new space in the cultural infrastructure of the city of Ljubljana. It is an urbanistic attractor at the city center’s edge, regenerating a former derelict city area. It builds its image and aesthetic upon its rich industrial heritage, working with simple materials, and using repetition as a metaphor for the industrial revolution. This industrial choice of materials and visual language is carefully reworked as a floating composition of volumes, drawing inspiration from the rich cultural history of the poets who once resided here, to provide a platform for artists of the future.
More information
Architects
Collaborators
Structural Engineer Team.- Elea IC.
Sustainability Consulting.- EN PLUS.
Energy Consultants.- EN PLUS.
HVAC Engineer.- MENERGA.
Lighting Engineer.- Arcadia lightwear.
Fire Safety Engineering.- FOJKAR FIRE.
Sustainability Consulting.- EN PLUS.
Energy Consultants.- EN PLUS.
HVAC Engineer.- MENERGA.
Lighting Engineer.- Arcadia lightwear.
Fire Safety Engineering.- FOJKAR FIRE.
Contratista general
Strabag.
Area
1,870 m².
Dates
Competition.- 2009.
Rehabilitación.- 2018-2021.
Inauguración.- septiembre de 2021.
Rehabilitación.- 2018-2021.
Inauguración.- septiembre de 2021.
Location
CUKRARNA. Poljanski nasip 40. 1000 - Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Manufacturers
Alucobond, Baumit.
Photography
Marko Studen Scapelab
Scapelab is an architectural office established in 2001 by Marko Studen, who graduated from the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Architecture and GSAPP, Columbia University, New York. For six years he was director of Europan Slovenia, an international housing competition project, and a lecturer at both the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana and the University of California. He was an editorial board member of Piranesi Magazine and Art.si Magazine, and a member of national and international competition jury committees. He is a co-editor of European Urbanity: Europan 7 and 8, Austria and Slovenia (Springer Verlag, 2006).
Boris Matic taught at the University of Ljubljana’s School of Architecture, served as an Executive Committee member of the Slovenian Chamber of Architecture, and has published contributions in outlets such as Hise and Mladina. Together with Jernej Sipos, they have been an integral part of Scapelab for more than ten years and joined as owners and partners in 2018. Scapelab was awarded the Piranesi Prize Honorable Mention (Cufar Square, 2005), the Golden Pen Award (Shared Space Slovenska Street, 2015), and the Plecnik Award (Technological Center Eles, 2019), among other national and international awards and commendations.
Boris Matic taught at the University of Ljubljana’s School of Architecture, served as an Executive Committee member of the Slovenian Chamber of Architecture, and has published contributions in outlets such as Hise and Mladina. Together with Jernej Sipos, they have been an integral part of Scapelab for more than ten years and joined as owners and partners in 2018. Scapelab was awarded the Piranesi Prize Honorable Mention (Cufar Square, 2005), the Golden Pen Award (Shared Space Slovenska Street, 2015), and the Plecnik Award (Technological Center Eles, 2019), among other national and international awards and commendations.
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