A building by Bax is the first block of Ljubljana's new business park

BAX's DCB Montana office building in the former industrial area of Moste, Ljubljana, is a remarkable piece of architecture that does not, however, soothe the perplexity about the presumed monofunctional vocation of the district.

BAX's DCB Montana office building in the former industrial area of Moste, Ljubljana, is a remarkable piece of architecture that does not, however, soothe the perplexity about the presumed monofunctional vocation of the district.

Without an integrated strategic plan, post-industrial areas risk being transformed into monofunctional districts that may attract investors but fail to absorb the city’s vital complexity, thus missing opportunities for urban, economic, and social regeneration.

In Ljubljana, the former industrial area of Moste that has been waiting for a few years to become a “business park” is one such place. The first step in this metamorphic process is the DCB Montana office complex, inaugurated in September 2024 and designed by the Barcelona-based BAX studio (winner of the international competition organised by the Slovenian company Dimnikcobau) as the area's first and most iconic office building.

The ten-storey building is characterised by a dynamic rhomboid floor plan, which accentuates its sculptural character in the context. In a second phase, an additional block will be built to house further offices and warehouses.

On each of the ten floors, the building houses four office units that can be variably configured to offer flexible work spaces. A large central atrium maximises natural light and ventilation and connects the various destinations (in addition to offices, a restaurant, bar, meeting rooms and a multifunctional gallery). Open outdoor spaces with seating and extensive terraces overlooking the city create visual and fruitive interactions with the landscape. Particular attention is paid to environmental sustainability and energy saving, which has earned the building DGNB Gold certification and an A1 energy classification, in line with the goal of creating one of the most technologically performing office buildings in the country.

An architecturally remarkable project, however, unable to silence doubts and concerns about the future of the sector.