Architecture with vision
DCB Montana, Ljubljana (SI)
A new business hub is emerging in Ljubljana. DCB Montana, designed as a consistently sustainable office building, marks the starting point – featuring striking architecture and smart solutions such as a water-saving toilet system and soundproof drainage.
Nothing less than creating one of the most innovative business hubs in Central Europe – Ljubljana has big ambitions for the Moste district. The former industrial area in the east of the Slovenian capital is being transformed into a new business location with international appeal.
View over the city and the Alps
One of the first visual milestones of this transformation is the DCB Montana office building. A striking rhombus-shaped statement spanning ten floors, designed by Barcelona-based BAX studio. “The architecture is designed to communicate with the city on multiple scales,” says Boris Bezan, founding partner at BAX and a native Slovenian.
This is achieved through various communal spaces, open terraces offering spectacular views over the city and the Alps, and a central atrium. The dark glass façade is clad with white sun-shading brise-soleils, which lend the building a surprisingly delicate appearance despite its size. “Inside, we have worked with gilded anodized aluminum profiles, whose tones change depending on the sun’s movement,” explains the architect.
Pioneer for sustainable office buildings
DCB Montana is one of the first office buildings in Slovenia to be consistently designed with sustainability in mind from the outset. The result: DGNB Gold certification and energy efficiency class A1. “Right from the planning phase, expert teams from various disciplines – architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, acoustics, lighting, etc. – evaluated different solutions and optimized them with a focus on sustainability,” says DGNB auditor Robert Smodiš. Geberit contributed to the certification primarily with its water-saving WC system and sound-insulated drainage pipes. The Geberit Sovent fitting was also used: by setting the wastewater in the downpipe into rotation, a stable air column is created – eliminating the need for a ventilation pipe and saving valuable space.
Natural light floods into the entire building through the glass outer shell and the central atrium. And the courtyard also plays a key role in the ventilation system. “All exhaust air from the office spaces is channeled into the atrium, where the chimney effect drives it upward. At roof level, energy from the warm air is recovered,” explains architect Boris Bezan.
DCB Montana stands as a powerful example of the direction Moste is heading – towards the future.
