How to live with an Idrija miners’ house? How to adapt it to meet contemporary living standards? How to renovate it so that it encourages the owners of the other houses still standing to reconsider and possibly renovate them?
These are all questions that the ID20 Institute has answered in drawing up plans for the renovation of the Idrija miners’ house Giser.
We have adapted the existing house, bringing new life into the building through a dialogue between old and new, and turning it into a temporary or permanent home. The proposed intervention restores to the house the old vertical silhouette so characteristic of miners’ houses. It removes what has been added in style over the decades, opens up all the walled openings and adds a new extension, but without changing the volume of the house. The external areas form a suitable access to the house and open up a new external space on the north side. This allows Giser to host a range of events from public presentations to intimate dinners overlooking the surrounding area.
Main entrance
The exposed silhouette of the miners’ house from Gortanova ulica and the main access. The old extensions are replaced by a new extension that preserves the existing volume of the house. The levelling of the terrain on the north side creates two terraces for outdoor activities.
garden
The garden, a typical element of a miners’ house, is restored and laid out as a pathway through which the visitor walks on the way to the main entrance. The restored façade receives two new window openings, the gank becomes an active part of the house, and the balcony on the first floor forms the green frame of the entrance portal.
Extension
The new extension maintains the existing dimensions of the house, but adds functionality for a more pleasant use of the outdoor space with a summer kitchen and a side entrance. When the house is not in use, the extension closes in and creates the appearance of a monolith. The new outdoor space offers open views to the west and east and allows for a range of events – from public presentations to intimate dinner parties.
Entrance
Entering the house through the hallway offers an open view towards the kitchen and further towards the outside space. From here, restored stairs lead to the first floor or, to the right, to the main living room of the house. The space under the stairs is used as a cloakroom/storage room.
Living room on the ground floor
The largest room on the ground floor becomes the central meeting and living space of the house. All the essential elements have been preserved, from the wall paintings and floor coverings to the ceiling articulation. All with the aim of preserving the homeliness and authentic ambience of a miners’ house.
First floor doorway
Entering the first floor opens up the volumetric perception of the space and becomes a gallery space with an interplay of new and old, with access to the existing balcony. All rooms have been preserved and restored, with a capacity of up to four beds. A bathroom has been added on the first floor. The attic space above the rooms has been converted into a multi-purpose room, accessible via a ladder.
First floor bedroom
The evening ambience in the master bedroom offers the experience of a real miners’ house. The restored ceiling articulation brings the space to life, defines the room, and creates a touch of homeliness through the lighting. The room can also be connected to an adjoining room if guests so wish.