The new extension of the III. Gymnasium Maribor is more than an addition — it represents a contemporary interpretation of the school complex, complete with a gymnasium. Thoughtfully designed in response to its surroundings, it complements the existing historical structure and creates a unified ensemble that presents two distinct faces: one, a historical façade facing the city center, and the other, a contemporary front aligned with the future urban redevelopment along Gregorčičeva Street. The northern edge of the new building is aligned with the existing historical structure, continuing the vision of a free-standing school set within a park. The new volume connects respectfully to the old, touching merely the blind northern façade. This allows for seamless integration between the old and new wings on all floors, improving circulation and user experience throughout the building. The compact layout preserves the eastern school garden almost entirely, transforming it into a “hortus conclusus” — an enclosed green sanctuary tailored to the school’s diverse needs.

 

A SOLID BASE, A FLOATING VOLUME, AND A LEARNING LANDSCAPE ON THE ROOF

The robust base, housing service areas, and the sports hall are recessed into the ground. Above it, a covered entrance platform with a transparent lobby connects visually and spatially to both the western sports park and the eastern school garden. A three-story volume appears to float above the ground floor, supported at four strategic points. Clad in a geometric wooden façade, this upper structure is pierced by a central multi-story atrium, which brings natural light and ventilation deep into the learning spaces and fosters peer interaction across floors.

One of the four ground-floor supports takes the form of a stepped pyramid, shaped to distribute the structural load around the gym's perimeter walls. This pyramid offers passersby a glimpse into the gym from Gregorčičeva Street while also bringing in natural light. Internally and externally, the pyramid functions as an amphitheater — facing the multipurpose hall, the garden, and the dining area — and can be used as an agora or a space for public speaking. 

​

FROM CLASSROOMS-IN-A-ROW TO A SPATIAL NETWORK

The new proposal envisions a spatial network organized around a central atrium that rises through multiple floors and culminates in the greenhouse learning landscape on the roof. This structure is designed for adaptability, capable of evolving with emerging pedagogical models. It also enables flexible classroom arrangements and the option to open learning spaces to the outdoors where appropriate.

The top floor, under a dynamic glass roof with integrated shading, is conceived as a greenhouse — a learning landscape both inside and out. Informal learning zones are created through flexible furnishings and movable partitions inside, while covered, plant-lined terraces offer shaded outdoor spaces with views of the surrounding greenery.

​

​

 

Location: Maribor, Slovenia

Project date: 2024

Site area:  6.313,6 m2

Building area:  2.084,8 m2

Total floor area:  12.067,7 m2

Type: Educational

Client: Slovene Ministry of Education

​

Authors: SVET VMES: Jure Hrovat, mia; Ana Kreč, mia; Žan Majetič, student

Collaborators: Katja Paternoster, mia; Jan Šimnovec, mia; students: Krištof Pirc, Julia Koželj

​​

 

Award: 3rd prize at the Open, Public, Anonymous, Architectural Competition

​

​