Football Stadium MB, Maribor, Slovenia (1998-2008) Photo: Tomaz Gregoric prescribed by law. It can be depressing. But we always try to create some contrast. We look for a certain extra we can give to the project.” - Aren’t you concerned about the maxim, almost a dogma, of Modern architecture – that the outside is supposed to reflect the inside? Špela: “To me, that is a fake sincerity, especially when the inside is not at all interesting. The interiors of social sector homes are governed by regulations, not by architectural ideas. Why should we have to reflect them on the outside?” Rok: “Sooner or later the users will show how they live in their homes – mainly on the balcony. So it’s not something that concerns us too much as architects. But in the City Museum, here in Ljubljana, we strove for an exterior that really does reflect the interior. Once again, there are no rules and we do not take a philosophical standpoint. We often aren’t even aware of why we choose to do one thing or another. Architecture is about invention; each project challenges us to invent something new.” - In most of your projects you blur the distinction between inside and outside. You create an intermediate space that connects instead of separating. Why is that important to you? 6 Špela: “Rok and I may hold different opinions about this. As for me, personally, it is crucial to give every apartment a winter garden, a balcony or a terrace. In Slovenia, we like to be outdoors. We don’t have a strong urban culture and most people originate from the countryside. It is still their dream to have a garden or at least an outdoor space. That is why we insist on providing loggias, balconies and winter gardens. It is where we make our extra contribution, especially as far as social housing is concerned. When we succeed in this, the apartments give the impression of being bigger than they really are. Rok’s personal preferences may be different from mine. The interior of the apartment he designed for himself is very Japanese in character, a closed box.” - The circular forms and curves you often use seem to be another way of connecting outside and inside. They appear, for example, in the City Museum, Villa Bled and the Farewell Chapel. Where did these curves come from? Rok: “The first time we used the circle was in 1998 and we have used it quite often since then. Sometimes you choose a concept for a specific situation and then you discover it is useful for different situations and for different reasons. Before long it seems to be a trademark of your architecture, even though it wasn’t intended that way.” Špela:” While we were working on the City Museum project there was a series of archeological digs in progress next to it. The museum was undergoing a lot of changes and
650 Apartments, Ljubljana, Slovenia (2004-2006) Photos: Tomaz Gregoric 7 Ofis Architects