Darko Plevnik, Natalija Zanoški, Jurij Kocuvan

GOGA-KHANA

Hours

WED 17.00-22.00

THU-SUN 11.00-22.00

Project

For presentations at Slovenian Book Fair in Ljubljana Goga Publishing House used to assemble their stands mainly out of ready-made inexpensive furniture. Due to the change of the location of the fair in 2022 they obtained a bigger stand with higher ceiling, so they needed to come up with added or new elements. As they are a smaller publisher their stand needed to be affordable, as they are gaining recognition on national level they wanted their stand to be noticeable. They entrusted the project with a tight dead-line to the architects which already cooperated with them and therefore understood their particular modus operandi.

Architects knew they also needed the elements of the stand to be light-weighted (easy to carry), easily-(dis)assembled (no external workers) and small-scale-storable (no extra storage space at their domicile).

Moreover, they wanted the elements to be re-usable and adaptable to any location, also they aimed for the design that would take up the available space. All input parameters resulted in compressible and dismountable black painted criss-crossed lattice structure with (black painted) flexible metal joints, where some of them function as book shelves, posters and light holders. Retrospectively, the stand structure reminds of the shape of the lattice walls (Khana) of traditional portable Mongolian tent (Ger), which incorporates the same functional demands of nomadic people: easy to erect, dismantle and transfer.

Author

Architects Darko Plevnik, Natalija Zanoški and Jurij Kocuvan, all graduates of Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana but in different years, found their place for living and working in Novo mesto, Slovenia. The first two (Darko and Natalija) are both freelancers but work as a tandem, focused primarily on product design, experimental (public) furniture and small scale (public and private) architecture. They also co-run local non-government organisation Est=etika (Aesth=et(h)ics), where they try to broaden their horizon beyond the habitual ways of architectural practice. The latter (Jurij) works independently through his Studio 300 and as a permanent collaborator of Goga Publishing House (Založba Goga), concentrated on graphic, publishing and (permanent) exhibition design. He is also a current president of the Association of Architects of Dolenjska and Bela Krajina. From 2021 all three joined their experiences and knowledge on several projects.

Project name GOGA-KHANA

Year 2022.

Client Goga Publishing House

Design Darko Plevnik, Natalija Zanoški, Jurij Kocuvan