architects Janko Zadravec & Branko Čepić
project Interior of KBM Maribor - Headquarters, Maribor, Slovenia
written by Uroš Lobnik

 

The plan of this Maribor office centre on the eastern edge of the medieval nucleus was commissioned from the architect Vlado Emeršič during the 1970s. The office centre in a proposed pedestrian zone stretching from the railway station to the university building was formed by the Social Accountancy building (1971) and the Commercial Bank of Maribor (1973-75). The new square was formed on the pedestrian axis between those buildings. Both buildings are reinforced concrete skeleton structures, their exterior parts exhibiting the functional divisions of the interior space. Emeršič tried to develop a personal, expressive architecture which emerged within the field of questioning the results of structuralist architecture. Emeršič divided the building into two functionally separate parts: the higher office volume and the lower assembly complex including the claims settling departments.