CLIENT: The City of Ljubljana •
CHALLENGE: Designing a sustainable public institution in politically complex and controversial context •
MY CONTRIBUTION: I conceived the development of a new public institution and creative space through the utilisation of community-based live prototyping
The City of Ljubljana sought to repurpose its iconic former bicycle factory, Rog, located in the city center. The 11,000 m2 factory complex was the focus of conflicting interests, which were regularly amplified and polarised by the media.
To address this, I devised a participatory development framework that ensured the project’s relevance, legitimacy, and alignment with diverse stakeholder needs. As a key part of this approach, I designed a small-scale prototype, RogLab, a shared community space where stakeholders were actively engaged in shaping the vision for the future Rog Centre. My team conducted an in-depth analysis of stakeholder attitudes, which directly informed the program’s evolution, focusing on creative industries.
In 2018, our team was honored with the EUROCITIES Innovation Award for our research and development approach. By 2023, the Rog Centre, now one of the largest creative hubs in Europe, had been launched. In less than a year, it attracted over 1,700 regular members, supported nearly 100 professional creatives, and organised 440 sold-out workshops and trainings—demonstrating the critical role of community involvement in ensuring the success and sustainability of public investments.