Slovenia does not have a suitable ice hall for training and curling competitions (the so-called ice sport, which is similar to bocce). The purpose of the task is to provide suitable surfaces and conditions for both professional and recreational playing of this sport. At the same time, special attention is also paid to the increasingly topical flexible reuse of architecture, where abandoned and dilapidated buildings are revived with the installation of a new program. An example of structures that exploited natural resources and are forgotten today due to the development of technology are icicles. They can be found all over Slovenia, including Ljubljana. Under the conglomerate of facilities that was created during the development of the area, the Union Brewery hides eight icicles and a set of cellars with cisterns. These, with their location underground, create spatial and physical conditions perfect for curling. Old cellars and icicles offer atmospheres that are impossible to recreate in the present day. Compared to new construction, basement renovation is not only a more economical solution, but also a higher value due to the strong craftsmanship DNA present. By placing the new program in the wrapper of the existing one, the consumer is provided with a clear view of the Slovenian cultural monument and a completely new perception of space. The combination of two contrasting cellars reveals atmospheres that have so far been hidden from the public eye.
Various methods of work are used in the master's thesis, such as: interviews with athletes and professional staff, theoretical and practical familiarization with the sport itself, analysis of spatial and substantive requirements of sport, study of flexible reuse and examples of good practices from abroad, study of ice rinks and cases from Slovenia and abroad, comparison of selected locations, analysis of micro and macro selected location and its spatial qualities, study of industrial heritage and discussions about it with an expert, valorization of the existing state of the cellar of the Union Brewery, setting up an organizational chart of the program, creating a spatial concept and preparing graphic appendices.
The result is an architectural solution that respectfully fits into the gaps of the existing Union. It revives and highlights some of the facilities with a strong genetic code of industrial heritage that have never been seen to the public and offers user-friendly spaces for the effective practice of sports within ambiently very diverse and high-quality spaces
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