Architecture & Urban Furniture

Tivoli Underpass, Ljubljana

Establishing the axis between the Ljubljana and Tivoli Castles.

The underpass at the Museum of Modern Art represents the main connection between the city centre and Tivoli Park. It lies on the axis connecting the Tivoli castle with the City Hall. Until the 1950's, this promenade was the very heart of the town's social life.

Reviving the former promenade axis connecting the Tivoli and Ljubljana Castles is one of the city's priority development projects. The first step in realizing this vision was the closure of the Tromostovje Bridges and Stritarjeva Street for motorised traffic, as well as the introduction of more engaging content in Tivoli Park.

An important piece in this puzzle is the renovation of the underpass by the Museum of Modern Art, which, prior to renovation, was in rather bad condition, despite its quality design and diligent basic maintenance. The pavement was fractured, the railings loose, the underpass was regularly vandalized and too expensive to maintain.

The primary goal of the renovation followed the city's vision: the underpass should be more than just a connection between two points. It needed to become an urban space that could fill many roles: a park, an alley, a promenade, a playground or even a space for various events.

The renovation comprised two sets of interventions: renovating the existing elements and adding new ones.The work included: the renovation of the sewage system, the removal of the graffiti and the antigraffiti protection of the concrete walls in the underpass, the renovation of the pavement in the underpass, setting up weather-resistant steel panels, fastening the existing railings, illumination of the underpass and finally the renovation of the stairs leading right and left of the underpass. All of these interventions enriched the space value and diminished the chances of vandalism.

The remaining holes in the walls were covered with walnut wood, so that visitors could sit in them or hang around them and not just pass through. Following the renovation, the underpass is much better maintained. A walk to the city's main park is now more pleasant and safer.

An underpass between the Museum of Modern Art and the Tivoli Park in Ljubljana • Partners: Department for Commercial Activities and Traffic Municipality of Ljubljana (regular maintenance work), Rima, d.o.o. (construction and craft works), Alukomen, d.d. (metalwork) and Javna razsvetljava, d.d. (electrical work) • Naročnik: Zavod za turizem Ljubljana • Client: City Municipality of Ljubljana, Ljubljana Tourism • 2009