abiro, Blenkuš – Florijančič d.o.o.

Under this name, a three room architects’ office was founded in 1998 at 3, Igriška Street, by Miloš Florijančič. Originally, the team included three members (beside Miloš Florijančič also Matej Blenkuš and Jerneja Fischer Knap) but later it has been constantly expanding and changing. The current team is made up of Matej Blenkuš and Miloš Florijančič, heads of the practice, Katja Cimperman and Anja Cvetrežnik, all of them graduated architects. What makes Abiro's architecture so interesting? What defines it as being specific within the countless heterogeneous approaches to designing buildings and spaces? Perhaps the answer to these two questions appears too simple to be put down in writing: Abiro's architecture arouses interest by being unique. Its specific features are derived from the mere fact that this kind of architecture comes into existence in this very office by very special people and has its own history. The most conspicuous generator of the different specific architectural features is the geographical, historical and social environment in which this architecture is created: the space, time and people. This makes Abiro's architecture is not only a combination of spaces and construction details, but contains the information on the space in which it is situated, on the knowledge imparted through education and the knowledge acquired or accumulated, on architectural subjects that are given priority by architects, as well as on other circumstances in which the buildings are designed and built. At the first glance, the buildings designed by Miloš Florijančič and Matej Blenkuš may not attract particular attention. One can stroll by the brown brick façade of the Vogal building on Dunajska Street in Ljubljana without being distracted. However, it becomes interesting as one comes closer and notices that the façade bricks are laid in a different manner than usual. The building which, when viewed from afar, looks quite customary due to its geometry and inconspicuous materiality, is convincing by its weightiness. When viewed from the nearby ridge, the house at Kovski vrh above the Poljanska Valley seems to be just one of the houses that are carefully arranged across the slopes of the Škofja Loka Hills. A large panoramic window strikes the eye of the visitors standing in front of the house and sensing Abiro's raumplan (space plan) and organisation of the interior that enables the residents to enjoy the entire space of the house. Similarly, the house in Čezsoča has an almost vernacular, introverted outward effect. By contrast, the interior offers surprisingly open, modern premises full of light. The Imparo office building is an apparently simple block; however, the interior is lit by natural daylight coming in from the green patios, which may be the least expected solution. The new office building at the end of Dunajska Street at the first glance seems to be just one of the sound pieces of architecture lining this artery leading to the city. However, its tactile façade with precisely cut ventilation slots and elaborate finishing elements reveals the firmness and resistivity of architecture that positively contributes to the city as a whole. Abiro’s architecture confirms the statement once written by Tomaž Brate: "Abiro's architecture is made to last." One could even say that Abiro's architecture is made so that its hidden and unexpected qualities are scheduled to emerge over the years. It should look better and better as it ages. Matevž Čelik