Ljubljana city passenger transport stops

In 2002, the Municipality of Ljubljana launched an international competition for a new look for bus stops, combined with urban advertising. In cooperation with Prorekla Europlakat, we have designed a simple standard bus stop which, in addition to a light advertising display and a canopy, offers all the essential elements of a bus stop, such as wind and rain protection, a bench, a timetable and a waste bin. As early as the mid-1990s, large advertising companies recognised the potential of integrating illuminated advertising displays into the design of bus stops, and a number of distinctive bus stop designs have taken root in the global market. While many medium-sized European cities, including Ljubljana, were content with a catalogue choice when selecting a bus stop, MOL wanted a design tailored to its needs. The decision that MOL is looking for a Ljubljana-specific solution can also be justified by the tradition of minimalist bus stops by architect and industrial designer Saša Maechtig. Although an outstanding design achievement, they no longer met the functional and content requirements of modern bus stops. The municipality has recognised the need to upgrade them.

Together with graphic designer and architect Domno Fras, in the first version of the design we proposed a solution that would stand out more in the colour scheme of the urban space, which is dominated by a lot of marketing information and messages, with an accentuated blue and yellow colour scheme. In the superstructure, a less prominent anthracite black colour was chosen, which is the central colour of the city’s transport infrastructure.

The design is modular, the stops can be extended in width and two canopy depths are available. The basic module follows both the width of the bench and the possibility to position the illuminated advertising display in a longitudinal direction. The double column support provides a robust and sturdy support on the one hand, and on the other hand allows for the placement of cross wind defences, benches, an information column and a litter bin. Unlike other competing solutions, all the urban amenities of the bus stop are integrated into the basic structure, eliminating the need for additional trash bins, billboards and similar vertical space barriers.

For the bus stop on Slovenska cesta and Stritarjeva street, a special type of canopy has been developed, with a larger module, a higher overhang and a more ambitious design. The rhythm of the structure relates it to the historic façade of the Main Post Office, but it is also more transparent and longitudinal. During the reconstruction phase of Slovenske cesta, our bus stops were partly modified, but integrated almost in their original form into the new public space design.

Authors of the project: BLENKUŠ Matej, FLORIJANČIČ Miloš, FRAS Domen