Conclusion of the Open Atelier project in Plečnik House: refreshed permanent exhibition and all-day programme of experiences
This Saturday, 21 June 2025, the Plečnik House will host the final event of the European project Open Atelier, which is being implemented by the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana (MGML), Plečnik House, in cooperation with partners from four European countries as part of the Creative Europe program. The event, which will continue in the evening with a program as part of the traditional Museums On a Summer Night, will also be the central celebration of the 10th anniversary of the reopening of the Plečnik House after its thorough renovation in years 2013–2015.
As part of the Open Atelier project, which runs from autumn 2022 to September 2025, participating museums from Denmark, Sweden, Iceland and Slovenia have been developing and testing innovative participatory approaches in contemporary museum practice. In Plečnik House, in collaboration with the architects of the house's renovation, Maruša Zorec and Matjaž Bolčina, they designed and implemented an addition to the permanent exhibition Plečnik., which, among other things, highlights the inclusion of selected works by Jože Plečnik on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The largest part of the project represents the enrichment of the exhibition with a new interactive modular system that allows visitors to explore Plečnik’s three key urban features of Ljubljana – the land, water and symbolic axes – through play, movement and assembly. The system was developed in collaboration with students of the Faculty of Architecture − winners of the Plečnik’s Ljubljana hackathon, which was held in Plečnik House as part of the project in April 2024. Students Hana Perkat, Valentina Nedaković, Tinkara Bizjan and Nikolaj Novak participated in the development of the modular system, under the mentorship of curator Ana Porok, program manager Maja Kovač and architect Andraž Keršič, assistant at the Faculty of Architecture.
Ana Porok, curator of the Plečnik House, and Maja Kovač, program and project manager, highlighted the intensive work and cooperation on the European project: "The Open Atelier project offered us an opportunity to thoroughly reflect on the way we exhibit, how we think about heritage, and how we collaborate with our audiences. Through a co-creative process with young people, we opened the doors of the museum and re-positioned it as an interactive, dynamic, and participatory creative space, in which cultural heritage becomes a starting point for new forms of exchange and experiences between our audiences and us – museums. We are also pleased that the final event of the project with a rich programme for all generations coincides with the 10th anniversary of the reopening of the museum after a thorough renovation in 2013–2015. We can say that in the last decade, Plečnik House has become one of the central places for understanding the architect's life and work, and at the same time an open platform for connecting professionals, creators, and visitors of all generations."
Hana Perkat, Valentina Nedaković, Tinkara Bizjan and Nikolaj Novak, students of the Faculty of Architecture and members of the winning hackathon team, highlighted the importance of the project for young creators: "Being part of the process from idea to installation in the museum was a unique experience. For the first time, we truly understood what it means to create for the public and how heritage can become a space for play, knowledge and community."
Mentor Andraž Keršič added: “The students showed exceptional dedication, creativity and flexibility. I am glad that Plečnik House, through the hackathon, attracted young creatives who brought their vibrant, contemporary intervention in dialogue with the existing exhibition. Participating in projects like Open Atelier is an invaluable experience that will surely benefit them in their future careers in architecture or any other field.”
An important part of the interactive modular system’s realisation was the support of KANSAI HELIOS Slovenija, which provided high-quality materials and technical advice for the final modules. The company emphasises that they see collaboration between industry, education and culture as crucial for innovation and socially responsible business.
Rok Žnidaršič, Deputy Mayor of the City of Ljubljana, and Tomaž Štoka, UNESCO Coordinator at the Museum of Architecture and Design, also underlined the broader impact of Open Atelier in Slovenia. Žnidaršič stated: “Architecture, as an autonomous creative practice, has immense connecting power with its universal message of humanising our living environment. Plečnik’s Ljubljana, as part of world heritage, is becoming an international model and a starting point for contemporary interpretations of people-centred urban design. This project and its plural language also align with the City of Ljubljana’s and MGML’s agenda in the global network of progressive cities — to live together and respect all differences.” Štoka added that Plečnik House “has a key role as an interpretation centre and gateway for researching and understanding Plečnik’s Ljubljana, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2021. Through Open Atelier, MGML has meaningfully enriched the exhibition so visitors can grasp the full significance of Plečnik’s work in a global cultural context.”
The project will conclude with the all-day event WHEN A HOUSE BECOMES A HOME – PLEČNIK HOUSE FOR EVERYONE, taking place on Saturday, 21 June 2025. The event begins at 10 AM and ends at midnight with Museums on a Summer Night. The programme will include guided tours, creative workshops for children and adults, live readings of letters, a film screening, a radio play, and guided visits to the exhibitions.
The full program of the event can be found here.
Open Atelier − building new innovative formats for active audience participation and interaction with cultural heritage within European House Museums
Open Atelier is an interdisciplinary network funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. Its aim is to develop operative blueprints for new participatory, audience-centred museum experiences. The cross-sectoral network brings together four European house museums (Plečnik House as part of MGML from Slovenia, Millesgården Museum from Sweden, the Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum from Iceland and the Art Museums of Skagen from Denmark), a performing arts organisation (AMAT from Italy) and a university (Politecnico di Milano). Through a workshop-based, co-creative approach, Open Atelier develops, tests and evaluates innovative strategies and tools for engaging audiences with heritage interpretation, presentation and use. The project will conclude in September 2025, compiling its results into a handbook for professionals and the wider public to promote new participatory practices across the European museum landscape.