Planica Nordic Centre – Cross-country skiing area

The cross-country skiing area is the last phase of the construction of the Nordic Centre in Planica. The aim of the project was to install cross-country skiing courses for both FIS standard techniques. The polygon is also suitable for training and skateboarding competitions in the area of the Nordic Centre. The biggest challenge is to position the running tracks in a way that is suitable for international competitions of the highest level. On the one hand, the area is located on the doorstep of the Triglav National Park, and on the other hand, it is part of the overall architectural and landscape design of the Nordic Centre. The gradual terracing of the wider development area has been respected, and the excess excavated material from the excavation of the underground part of the central building of the centre has been incorporated into the design. As a result, the character of the area following the route of the two lines changes from areas with distinctly natural topographic and vegetation features to areas where the geometry of embankments and cuttings in the terrain is very clear. The great quality of the intervention lies precisely in the mild character transitions, where the relief passes from natural to anthropogenic form.

Two wooden bridges at points outside the level crossing are architecturally and technically distinctive. The bridges span spans of 33 and 22 metres, and can also be used by buses during major competitions. In contrast to the other sports facilities of the Nordic Centre, where the basic geometry of the facilities is defined by the distinct and pure form of reinforced concrete, a wooden bar structure is chosen for the bridges. There are several reasons. While with the ski jumps we have tried to make their final placement in the space blend in as much as possible with the surrounding terrain, the implementation of two sharp cuts in the terrain, where the tracks descend and then rise again, cannot avoid a different, more mechanical reading of the space. The material chosen, instead of hardening and firming the sonar form, softens the sharp cuts and makes them less permanent, less definitive.

Another important reason is that athletes are in direct contact with structural members when moving under bridges. The wooden poles are optically and visually much richer than similar concrete structures, and the flow under the bridges is therefore very specific in terms of ambience and enriched by the rhythm of light and texture.

Authors of the project: BLENKUŠ Matej, FLORIJANČIČ Miloš, KUČAN Ana, JAVORNIK Luka