Event’s horizons stretched with Ljubljana museum

Event Communications has been appointed to create a masterplan for the flagship City Museum of Ljubljana, in Slovenia’s medieval capital city, designed to bring the attraction ‘into the 21st century’.

The group was appointed a week ago following a round of credentials and creative pitches that started in the spring. It won a head-to-head pitch against an unnamed Dutch group, says Event senior designer Arnaud Dechelle.

Event is looking at all aspects of the interiors, from permanent displays to retail and café areas, says Dechelle. ‘The client wants the space to be repositioned as a centre of culture and a living museum that chronicles the country’s recent stormy past as well as its ancient history,’ he says. ‘We don’t want just nostalgia.’

According to Dechelle, the museum is well known in Slovenia and ‘reaches out to the local community’. He says, ‘We’re keen to raise the standard of the site to European standards, bring it into the 21st century and return the building to its former glory.’

The museum is housed in a building with centuries of architectural and historical heritage, known locally as the Auersperg Palace, in which Roman and pre-historic traces have been found. It has been closed for the past two years for refurbishment.

Architects Spela Videcnik and Rok Oman are creating a glass gallery on the ground floor that will house the café and reception areas (‘loop’ feature of the overall scheme pictured).

Ljubljana was the home of a British Council exhibition earlier this year, the 25th International Biennale of Graphic Arts.