A striking new water sculpture has taken its place in the heart of Ljubljana, Slovenia, nine years after winning a public design competition. The installation, designed by the collaborative team of P PLUS arhitekti and m.kocbek architects, occupies a modest 150 square meters along Slovenska cesta, the city's main thoroughfare. Completed in 2025, the sculpture represents a thoughtful intervention in dense urban fabric, creating what the architects describe as a micro-ambient space that offers respite from the surrounding bustle. The project was led by lead architects Primož Boršič and Vimos M.Arch, with construction handled by contractor KPL d.o.o., and documented through the lens of photographer Ana Skobe.
The sculpture's design takes the form of a continuous spatial loop that establishes a distinct urban platform through its rounded, flowing geometry. Unlike traditional monuments that encourage passive observation, this installation actively invites physical engagement from passers-by. The structure frames and directs views in multiple directions, generating an ever-changing sequence of visual experiences that shift with the viewer's position. Its silhouette transforms dynamically as people move around and through it, creating a participatory experience that blurs the boundary between artwork and audience. The architects deliberately conceived the piece as something to be inhabited rather than merely observed, encouraging touch, movement, and contemplative rest within its curved embrace.
On a symbolic level, the water sculpture communicates profound themes of movement, flow, circulation, and interconnectedness that resonate with natural cycles. It serves as both a tribute to drinking water and a metaphor for the eternal rhythms of nature, representing the dynamic balance inherent in natural processes. The continuous movement of water within the sculpture's system becomes a physical manifestation of life's interweaving pathways, linking visible and invisible realms, material and immaterial dimensions, and individual experience with collective existence. This layered meaning transforms the installation from a purely aesthetic object into a space for environmental reflection and a reminder of humanity's responsibility within nature's cycles.
Material selection played a crucial role in realizing the sculpture's conceptual ambitions. The architects chose stainless steel for its reflective properties, which continuously incorporate the surroundings and passers-by into the artwork itself. This mirrored surface ensures the sculpture never appears static, transforming throughout the day under different lighting conditions and weather patterns. Under clear skies, it presents one character; beneath cloud cover, another emerges. The western sun bathes it in warm yellow-orange tones, while rainfall creates yet another expressive quality. At times, the reflective surface nearly dematerializes the structure, making it seem to dissolve into its environment. This chameleon-like quality ensures the sculpture remains a living part of the urban landscape rather than a static object.
For Ljubljana's residents and visitors, the water sculpture has quickly become a distinctive spatial landmark that enriches the city's public realm. It fulfills its original conception as a spatial intervention that does not enclose or divide space harshly, but rather softly connects people with their environment. The installation demonstrates how contemporary public art can successfully balance aesthetic innovation with social function, creating a place that serves both as a visual anchor and a usable urban amenity. Its presence along Slovenska cesta adds a layer of cultural depth to one of the city's most trafficked corridors, offering moments of pause in the daily urban rhythm.
The project's success lies in its ability to function simultaneously as sculpture, architecture, and social space. By integrating water as both a physical and symbolic element, the design team has created something that resonates on multiple levels with diverse audiences. The nine-year journey from competition win to completion reflects the careful consideration given to every aspect of the installation, from its formal qualities to its material performance and social impact. As Ljubljana continues to evolve as a city that values both its historical character and contemporary innovation, the water sculpture stands as a testament to the power of public art to create meaningful places that speak to universal human experiences while respecting local context.
