Piranesi Award 2025: Temporary premises of the Slovene National Theatre Drama Ljubljana, Slovenia

Repurposing of the former halls of the industrial giant Litostroj into temporary premises for the SNT Drama Ljubljana

The neo-baroque building of the Slovenian National Theatre Drama Ljubljana in the city centre found itself in a truly poor condition. Structurally unsound, it had been flooded several times. During the summer heatwaves, the last performances of the season had to be cancelled. The renovation was therefore only a matter of time. The renovation and construction of an extension is a lengthy process, so it was necessary to find replacement premises to ensure the smooth running of the programme of Slovenia’s leading theatre institution. As there were no suitable premises in the city centre, it was decided to move the SNT Drama to the outskirts of the city, to two halls of the former Yugoslav industrial giant Litostroj from the 1960s, where turbines were manufactured and which had already been partially converted into an event venue under the name L56. From the outset, the renovation was led by Vidic Grohar arhitekti, who skilfully combined the existing structures of industrial heritage with the programme requirements of the theatre. The work was completed in just ten months, on a very limited budget of only €750 per square metre.

The transformation of the building complex took place in two phases. In 2022, a large industrial hall was renovated and named after its address, Litostrojska 56, or L56 for short. It housed a large multi-purpose event area that could accommodate up to 4,000 visitors, and events could also be extended to the inner courtyard. When the decision was made in 2024 to temporarily relocate the SNT Drama to L56, the second part of the renovation was carried out. In the first phase, a backstage area and an entrance building were constructed, which the architects named the Ziggurat. A staircase leads from the entrance to the bar at the top, which opens onto the hall. Both interventions were built of brick. The reasons for choosing brick were its properties, namely its good insulation, interesting visible structure, warm feel and quick installation. The bricks were bonded with PU adhesive, which contributed to the more attractive appearance of the walls and enabled faster construction. A total of 23,400 bricks were used in the construction. To neutralise the weight of the brick structure, it was painted with silver reflective paint, leaving bare only a large circle in the wall of the backstage area, which shows the true nature of the material. The Ziggurat, this unique recognisable structure in silver, has thus become a recognisable element of the entire complex.

In the second phase, the complex was adapted to the requirements of the theatre. Today^, it measures 4,000 m² and is designed in the shape of the letter U. The most representative spaces are located in the highest hall on the eastern side, with a large hall, entrance foyer, bar and ticket office. The lower, industrial hall has a small stage with accompanying rooms and an administrative section. The two halls are connected by a new section with two rehearsal rooms, an internal bar and an open terrace overlooking the inner courtyard. The inner courtyard features another interesting element, a pavilion whose roof consists of two panels from the huge entrance doors of the former large industrial hall and which serves as a social area for employees.

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