The city of Koper is one of the more prominent cities in Slovenia, with excellent development potential, and aims to extend its influence more broadly into the international sphere. This master’s thesis explores the possibilities for achieving such development while simultaneously transforming the organisation of cities and society. The theoretical literature highlights the consequences of advanced technological development, which encourages the emptying of public spaces, dispersion, and fragmentation within an increasingly individualised society. A solution is found in permanent event-based public spaces, which already exist in the city of Koper. Among them, cultural content dominates, yet it only achieves regional virtual influence. In this thesis, I explore the opportunities offered by a business programme—identified through theoretical foundations and historical events as a key driver of the city’s progress—and reinterpret it as an event-based public space.
The architectural proposal also addresses topographical specificities, the degradation of a large parking area, the integration of a multimodal centre, and the expansion of parkland. The identification of a development centre as the city’s stage, in relation to the already existing event locations, points to the first true stage that functions as a contemporary public space and reaches supranational virtual boundaries. The proposal acts as a catalyst for development, production, research, education, and quality of living. The development centre represents an opportunity for positioning the city of Koper among the world’s more significant global cities.
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