Blooming Terraced Building to Spring up in Slovenia Next Year

This flowing mixed-use building wrapped in an intricate metal mesh was recently approved for construction in Slovenia's Ljubljana City Center. The metal mesh is impregnated with organic material that springs to life in the warm seasons, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/2010/09/15/flower-tower-380-potted-plants-line-parisian-apartment-facade/" target="_blank">covering the sides of the building</a> with flowers and greenery. Designed by <a href="http://www.ofis-a.si/default.cfm?Kat=0503&amp;BesID=249" target="_blank">OFIS Arhitekti</a> for a busy pedestrian street in the center of the city, the Shopping Pillow Terraces also include a pedestrian passage into a public park behind the building.

Designed by Slovenia-based OFIS Arhitekti, Shopping Pillow Terraces is a mixed-use retail and residential development located in Ljubljana City Center.

The project connects a historic city park with a popular pedestrian street and provides space for boutiques and a cafe.

The building is uniquely designed to fit into the context of both low rise historical buildings as well as a taller ones, like the recently built post office nearby.

The park and the pedestrian street are on different levels, so there are two ground floors connected by a public passage.

Terraces are created by curving back the layers to create decks and draw lots of daylight into the interior spaces.

Each layer is wrapped in metal mesh that is impregnated with greenery which blooms depending on the season.

Views from the top three levels of apartments show beautiful views of the city and Ljubljana's castle.

The living layer around the building softens the facade and gives it a very organic look compared to the historical buildings in the city center.

Each level is curved and designed differently to create various terraces and deck spaces for shoppers and residents.

The retail floor is located underground, while the second floor opens up to the city park.

The third floor has the entrance from the city's main commercial pedestrian street and the fourth floor contains more retail.

The top three floors contain apartments and a three-story atrium that draws light down through into the apartments.