Photo: Ana Skobe
In the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana, a monumental new sculpture has emerged in the city center. The site-specific installation, which resembles a silver loop, arrives nine years after M.KOCBEK Architects and P PLUS Arhitekti won a public design competition, held by the Chamber of Architects of Slovenia. As required by the competition’s guidelines, Water Sculpture LJ offers an unexpected yet innovative opportunity for public engagement in Ljubljana.
Conceived as a “spatial and symbolic contribution to the city’s public realm,” per the architects, the sculpture assumes the form of a rounded, steel coil. Water flows from the top of the installation like a shower, while its lower half burrows beneath the street. The effect mimics a continuous feedback loop, in which water slowly emerges from the earth only to return to its original source. As a circulatory system, Water Sculpture LJ stands as an evocative symbol of a city, suggesting that humanity and our surroundings are deeply intertwined.
“The sculpture speaks of movement, flow, circulation, fluidity, and connection,” the architects explain. “It is a tribute to drinking water and a metaphor for the eternal cycles of nature. The movement of water within the sculpture becomes a metaphor for this interweaving.”
If this sense of interconnectedness is at the heart of Water Sculpture LJ, then it should come as no surprise that participation is equally significant to the project. The work’s sleek, mirrored surface enhances its visual intrigue, implicating passersby with its polished exterior while also encouraging them to glance at their own reflections. Its dynamic silhouette demands additional attention, prompting us to move around the work and observe how it evolves depending on our vantage point. We are also invited to interact directly with Water Sculpture LJ, whether it be by sitting, lounging, or balancing upon it.
“Rather than separating the observer from the artwork, it incorporates them through movement, touch, sitting, and inhabiting the space within its lines,” the architects explain. “It creates a space that is not only seen, but experienced.”
Thanks to its material and formal sensibility, Water Sculpture LJ remains compelling upon multiple viewings. Depending on weather conditions or the time of day, the sculpture’s appearance shifts, taking on different expressions under a warm sun or thick rain. In these ways, the artwork is constantly informed by its urban environment, complementing as well as elaborating upon it and its inhabitants.
“The new water sculpture has become a distinctive spatial landmark for both residents and visitors to the city,” the architects share. “Just as it was originally conceived as a spatial intervention that does not enclose or divide, but softly connects space and people, it now truly functions and lives in this way.”
To learn more about Water Sculpture LJ, visit the websites for M.KOCBEK Architects and P PLUS Arhitekti.
Nine years after winning a public art competition, M.KOCBEK Architects and P PLUS Arhitekti have unveiled a stunning installation in Ljubljana’s city center.
Photo: Ana Skobe
Photo: Ana Skobe
Photo: Ana Skobe
The installation resembles a monumental steel loop and sprays water, encouraging us to meditate upon our interconnectedness not just with nature, but with the city’s fellow inhabitants.
Photo: Ana Skobe
Photo: Ana Skobe
