Afining Fori building – A transparent link between urban life & green space
Updated: Sep 3
The Afining office building in the center of Velenje represents a thoughtful architectural response to the specific urban context of the city.
TYPE OF PROJECT: Architectural Building / Commercial Building
LOCATION: Center of Velenje, Slovenia
KEY ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES:
_Urban connector between street and park:
_Transparent south-facing elevation.
_Expressed steel structure.
_Solar control through external brise-soleil.
_Flexible interior with material contrast.
The Afining office building in the center of Velenje represents a thoughtful architectural response to the specific urban context of the city. The building, designed as a modern technological accent in the space, acts as a connecting link between two different urban environments. Its northern side, facing the street, maintains the discipline of the urban row, while the southern facade opens completely to the central promenade and green park through large glass surfaces. The building actively communicates with the public space and blurs the line between interior and exterior.
The structural design is based on the principle of the sincerity of materials. The visible steel supporting structure, complemented by characteristic diagonal ventilation, gives the building lightness and emphasizes the rationality and technological advancement of the construction, while the pronounced external sunshades on the south side add the necessary depth and functional protection from the sun.
The interior of the building reflects the harmony between the technical rigor of steel and the warmth of wooden floors. The open floor plan, enabled by the steel skeleton, creates an airy and flexible working environment that is closely integrated into the city's pulse. The building remains an excellent example of late modernist architecture, which ennobles the city center with its transparency, technological consistency and urban sensitivity.
Location: Velenje, Slovenia
Year: 1997
Material: Steel, glass
Architect: Nande Korpnik
Engineering: Jani Ramšak (Structure), Menerga (Mechanical systems)
Photo: Miran Kambič
