Šiška is today one of the most densely populated and urbanised districts of Ljubljana; nevertheless, it lacks high-quality squares and public spaces for social interaction and everyday use by its residents. Celovška cesta, one of the city’s main routes, strongly defines the identity of the area. Along this corridor, the scale of the built environment increases, while the space functions primarily as a transit zone, accompanied by a continuous strip of service-oriented activities and retail.
Šiška is an area of contrasts, where the urban meets the rural. Socialist housing estates, blocks, and high-rise buildings stand alongside historic bourgeois suburban villas. The area is the result of spontaneous growth, diverse urban development approaches, and architecturally varied periods. A rare example of a well-functioning public space in Šiška is the area in front of Kino Šiška, which, during events, spontaneously transforms into a space of gathering, social interaction, and public life.
Today, Tržnica Šiška functions primarily as a symbolic place, as its existing spatial configuration appears fragmented, incoherent, and improvised. Temporary interventions on the site fail to create a cohesive public space; the market’s layout does not attract users, and the parking area appears neglected and unstructured. The site occupies a highly prominent location at the intersection of Celovška Road and Drenikova Street—two of the most important traffic axes in Šiška—situated in close proximity to the city centre. However, its current spatial arrangement does not reflect or utilise this significant potential.
The thesis proposes a new urban design for the area, in which additional building volumes along Celovška Road extend the existing strip of service-oriented activities along the city’s main route, while a new residential building along Drenikova ulica clearly encloses and defines the central space. With the demolition of the existing market structure, a new open public space is formed at the heart of the site. This space programmatically upgrades the existing market and culinary activities through the introduction of a cultural programme, thereby establishing a new cultural axis within Šiška.
The new square and park provide the area with much-needed high-quality public spaces, while the central building functions as a covered, permeable pavilion that connects both open spaces. The architectural design of the building is based on an open and airy structure with arches, enabling permeability, flexible use, and protection from weather conditions. Natural light is introduced into the interior through glass blocks, while greenery is integrated both within the park and as trees and planted elements on the building itself. The result is a contemporary urban hybrid that combines market, culture, and public space, forming a new place of gathering and a cultural–culinary centre for Šiška.
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