In the thesis, we discuss the old village core of the village of Žirovnica which is already heavily degraded. With degradation, it lost its role and importance in space. We are reviving the village core with an appropriate program, new constructions on the site of demolished buildings, and the creation of public open spaces. The topic of the thesis is the new design of the cultural center in Žirovnica. The municipality of Žirovnica emphasizes in its slogan that it is the cradle of culture in Slovenia. With new spatial and programmatic solutions, the ambitious-sounding slogan could be justified and strongly reinforced. The residents and the increasingly numerous visitors of Žirovnica need new spatial and program enrichment of the design-devalued public space, especially in the center of Žirovnica.
The program of the proposed new content is divided into three segments. The first segment represents the design of the replacement construction of the demolished farm which would house two permanent exhibitions (the archaeological site of Ajdno and five famous cultural figures of the Municipality of Žirovnica), a multi-purpose hall, and a library. The facility would be the starting point and end point of the newly created cultural heritage routes.
The second part is the replacement construction of the demolished hayloft where a building dedicated to the functioning of the small Municipality of Žirovnica (a meeting room for the municipal council and an office with an archive) combined with a publicly accessible cafe would be given its place.
The third set represents the arrangement of public areas around the famous old village lime tree which connect the existing Čop's birthplace and the planned replacement buildings in the center of Žirovnica. The newly designed ambiance of the central square is intended for visitors, occasional outdoor sales of local crops and products, as well as occasional events.
Both replacement buildings follow the dimensional characteristics of the demolished buildings and emphasize the identity characteristics of the traditional construction in a modern way. The replacement buildings combine and re-connect the contents (new programs) that the municipal and cultural center of Žirovnica urgently needs for its own development, to raise the living culture of its residents, and the increasingly numerous visitors. The new design of the arrangement of public areas in the center of the village connects the ambiance of the old village lime tree, the existing Čop's birthplace, and two replacement buildings into the new cultural center of Žirovnica.
Everything can be upgraded with an application for mobile phones and tablets which would bring learning and experiencing the thematic routes of cultural heritage closer to visitors through virtual reality.
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