The Academy of Fine Arts and Design has its departments scattered across Ljubljana in worn out buildings. An architectural design competition for the reconstruction and addition to the already standing ALUO building on Erjavčeva street was published this year. All the competition proposals were presented on Monday and will be on display at the academy until the 9th of December.

The winning project, put together by Tomaž and Lena Krušec, Vid Kurinčič and Ana Kučan, makes it possible for all the scattered departments to connect and come together in a single building. A multi-purpose square is planned to be located in front of the academy building, and that proved to give the winning project team a decisive advantage, when compared to the other 21 submitted competition proposals.
"A big atrium is planned for the middle of the square which will connect the city with the exhibition areas, to be located underground. From there a wide stairway will connect all of the academy's public programs with the most important area, and that is the library," said Tomaž Krušec, representing the authors of the project.
In its report the jury wrote: "The whole building as such also draws attention to its square interior, which establishes a neutral relationship with its surroundings. At the same time it enables the yard to slowly develop from a quality semi-public space into an urban public space, which is a characteristic tendency for the modern development of historical city centres."
"The competition proposal managed to effectively, innovatively and very poetically upgrade the relatively strict urban conditions, compact program, organization of public contents and, last but not least, the demands for an economical construction project. It managed to do that with an architectural design of the space and not the form. With regards to the activities of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, the proposal is considered to be a big architectural achievement," the jury further elaborated its decision.
The funding for the construction will be secured by the Ministry of Education and Culture. A construction permit still has to be acquired.
The lack of space and rooms at the three art academies (apart from ALUO also at the Academy of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television - AGRFT and the Academy of Music - AG) is a decades-long problem, and since the start of the new millennium there has been no real progress in dealing with the issue.