Skyscraper

In the early part of the 1960s, the architect Viljem Strmecki, the main urbanist in that period, erected a skyscraper in the centre of the town – a vertical emphasis, which was contrary to Ravnikar’s original plan. The location was carefully chosen along the main avenue , opposite the municipality building. This was the first apartment block in the town built with a reinforced concrete skeleton construction and to be earthquake-resistant. The northern façade is interesting for being shaped like a saw-cut. The windows are thus oriented towards the north-west, whereas the façade is closed against the bora wind. The 51-metre-high building was the highest building in the town. In 2008, when the building was renovated, the first white façade was changed to a new, orange façade.

Since the town was very young, it lacked public facilities; instead of offices, the skyscraper housed comfortable apartments for young engineers and managerial staff. In total, it hosted 104 apartments and the first inhabitants moved there in 1966. There were also two shops and a restaurant in the underground premises.