cultural center of european space technologies completes in slovenia

in the same town of vitanje in slovenia where herman potocnik noordung made the first theories on outer space, the noordung space wheel, or ‘cultural center of european space technologies’ (KSEVT) is now complete. basing the overall form off of the first geostationary space station, slovenian firms OFIS architects, bevk perovic arhitekti, dekleva gregoric arhitekti and sadar vuga arhitekti collaborated to design the monolithic concrete structure clad in micro-perforated aluminum sheets after the habitable wheel, as layers of circular volumes are stacked upon each other, slightly offset in angle. the lower ring angles to open from north to south exposing the glazing that marks the entrance, with the top cylinder behaving in exactly the opposite direction.

image © tomaz gregoric (also main image) / all images courtesy of OFIS architects

there are two entry points into the building, one from the gravel area by a natural green zone and stream on the north side and the other from the main road. the entrance vestibule contains two ramps that begin the exhibit area, and can be completely opened to allow the space to spill out into the exterior square. the western side contains smaller offices along the ramp that leads to the darker display area. the highest area on the northernmost point is devoted to researchers of the history of space technology, separated from the public activities below.

see designboom’s earlier coverage on the design phase here.

image © tomaz gregoric

casting of the concentric concrete rings
image © tomaz gregoric

image © tomaz gregoric

exhibition floor
image © tomaz gregoric

image © tomaz gregoric

site plan

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level 1

floor plan / level 2

floor plan / level 3

floor plan / level -1

section

elevation

project info:

location: cesta na vasi, vitanje, slovenia  
project start: 2009
construction start: 2009
completed: 2012
program: exhibition spaces, library, offices, multi-purpose hall, auditorium 
type: space technology community centre 
client: ksevt, vitanje community and ministry of culture, slovenia 
site area: 33,305 m2
total floor area: 2.450 m2
 materials: concrete, glass, aluminium
architecture offices: bevk perovic arhitekti, dekleva gregoric arhitekti, ofis arhitekti, sadar vuga arhitekti
bevk perović project team: matija bevk . vasa perovic . gerrit neumann . andreja pikelj . gonzalo piqueras . josef kalcik
dekleva gregoric project team: aljosa dekleva . tina gregoric . daniel schwartz
ofis architects project team: rok oman . špela videcnik . andrej gregoric . janez martincic . christian gheorghe rastislav udzan
kiki marien . janja del linz
sadar+vuga project team: jurij sadar . bostjan vuga . vanja gortnar . sven kalim . siim johan alexander
overall building geometry realization & project execution: josip konstantinovic
façade details execution: rok gerbec
 structural engineering: sector inzeniring d.o.o.
mechanical engineering: i.s.p. kamnik d.o.o.
electrical engineering: jelen &zavasnik bambi d.n.o.
traffic engineering: tega d.o.o.
acoustic engineering: sasa galonja
noordung space technologies center concept & producer: dragan zivadinov, miha tursic
graphic design: atelje balant