Maribor, Slovenia_ Social Housing Jemčev vrt
Architect: Borut Pečenko
Date: 1972-75

After a few short hours, the slow rhythm of northern Croatia’s patchy landscape quickly crescendos into a field of mountains and valleys declaring the entrance into Slovenia. Maribor is the second largest city in Slovenia and only fifteen minutes south of the Austrian border. The city is located in a small valley surrounded by beautiful vineyards and mountains. Pečenko’s takes advantage of the surroundings by citing the housing complex on a corner facing towards the distant town center and alongside the road to the vineyards. Announcing the presence of the neighborhood to the community buildings in its vicinity, the projects breaks down into a series of ascending and descending parts, with the highest building in the corner chamfering the sidewalk and providing a nice cove for a café.

While the corner both invites and protects the neighborhood beyond, the two arms extend out and stretch past the corner, following the street towards different horizons. Both of the street facades are clad in a syncopated rhythm of carefully curved balconies and beautifully imprinted formwork - wood on concrete. The buildings slowly descend towards the horizon from the corner intersection - one side heads towards the vineyards while the other towards the neighborhood.


View of complex from the Piramida vineyards.


Diagonal view of intersection towards the corner of the complex.


View of complex streching north towards Piramida


Detailed view of balcony edge.


Detailed view of balcony edge.


Detailed view of corner transition.