For those who prefer to create on their own, the MiniMAO playroom opens its doors roughly once a month. Here, young visitors can independently explore themes from the current exhibitions at the Museum of Architecture and Design through puzzles and fun challenges. The playroom is fully stocked with various tools and materials—such as cardboard, wooden rods, and Lego bricks—allowing kids to test and bring their own architectural and design ideas to life.

The MiniMAO playroom is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the following dates: May 24, June 20, September 20, October 18, November 29, and December 27.

*On June 20, for Summer Museum Night, the MiniMAO playroom will exceptionally be open from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

This “OFF THE MAP” tour, which takes place as part of the Ljubljana Art Weekend, will take visitors to the Nove Fužine neighborhood, known for its modernist residential architecture, rich demographic variety, and strong community bonds.

The visit of the neighbourhood will start with the guided tour of the exhibition Is nature modern? Ecological Perspectives in the MAO Collection, 1930–1979 in the Museum of architecture and design (MAO) by its director Maja Vardjan. The exhibition explores modernistic architecture and design’s relationship to nature and their approach to ecological thinking.

Alongside the current exhibition the director will present the museum’s involvement with the local communities, including projects like Museum in Community, and other transdisciplinary sustainable practices, promoting a diverse range of events and workshops that encourage intergenerational collaboration between individuals and institutions.

In the same participatory manner the tour will be followed by the picnic with What Could Should Curating Do (WCSCD), educational program which serves as a testing ground for creating a collective learning site and a space to think about how to institute differently. Their collaborative approach has led to forming bonds with the Robida collective, who will join the discussion and present their unique way of operating. Jointly they will present the new WCSCD’s publication created in collaboration with Archive Books and Sok Cooperative, as well as the recent Robida magazine, centered around the orchard as a landscape and fruit trees as powerful metaphors and living archives of stories and memories.

The gathering will be activated through the presence of WCSCD program participants, curators, Sara Kecman, Giulia Gaibisso, Irene Coscarella and Marie Tatjana Niederleithinger, artist based in Novi Sad (Sok Cooperative member) Nemanja Milenković, Robida Collective, and curator and WCSCD founder Biljana Cirić.

If you would like to join the tour, please apply at hello@ljubljanaartweekend.com.

*There will be free transportation from Tivoli Park to Fužine, however visitors are welcome to join the programme directly at the Museum of architecture and design (MAO).

On the first weekend of June, as part of the European initiative Rendez-vous aux jardins (Meet Us in the Gardens), we invite you to visit parks and gardens in more than twenty European countries. This year’s theme is viewpoints. The initiative, which originated in France, aims to bring the diversity and richness of garden and park heritage closer to the public, highlight its cultural significance, and emphasize the positive impact of green spaces on people’s well-being.

Join us in the MAO park!

The park of the Renaissance Fužine Castle, home to the Museum of Architecture and Design, was arranged in the 19th century. It is characterized by old tree species such as plane trees and chestnuts, as well as landscaped paths along the river, creating a pleasant blend of natural and cultural environments.

At the event, we will explore different tree species, make leaf and bark prints, build a model of the park and the castle, and try out the role of landscape architects. Along the way, we will also discover interesting architectural elements, including the original roof turret from the Provincial Mansion (now the seat of the University of Ljubljana), and visit a nature-based playground created as part of the Museum in the Community project. We will explore a hidden pond, learn about urban beekeeping and the importance of ecological corridors, and observe birds and other park inhabitants.

The event is intended for children and young people up to the age of 15.

As part of the Rendez-vous aux jardins (Meet Us in the Gardens) initiative, when numerous gardens and parks across Europe open their doors to the public, we invite you to join a guided tour of the Fužine Castle park at MAO.

The Fužine Castle park represents an important example of the interplay between historical landscape design and contemporary urban space. It took on its present form in the 19th century, when Fidelis Terpinc, the then owner of the castle, transformed the grounds into a park. Plane trees, cypresses, carob trees, and other exotic trees and shrubs were planted. The park was renovated in the early 1990s. Today, it is a public space at the intersection of natural heritage, a riverside environment, and dense residential development. This layering raises a number of questions about its management, significance, and future development.

Through its historical context and transformations, the tour will present the park from the perspective of landscape architecture, spatial use, and contemporary environmental challenges. Special emphasis will be placed on biodiversity and sustainable management practices (such as mowing intensity, the role of urban beekeeping, and the identification and evaluation of wild-growing, including edible, plant species).

The guided tour will be conducted in collaboration with members of the Trajna association for the development of sustainable design.