International Automatic Telephone Exchange

The first high-tech building in Ljubljana was successfully built after a 1970 public architectural competition. The architect Milan Mihelič designed the Telephone Exchange, linked with the two postal buildings across the street, in two parts. The telephone exchange itself is located in the basement, while offices are located on the two upper floors. In between, on the ground level, the space almost empty. The floors in the area floating above the ground floor are suspended between two plates and surrounded by unified surface of reflective glass. The facade is softly bent at the corner and catches various reflections in its wavy form. The body of the central building is supported by two wide concrete cylinders with vents, and two pairs of thin steel pillars give the impression of lightness. The architecture of the building and its flawless construction can be compared with the 1975 Willis Faber Dumas building located in Ipswich and designed by Sir Norman Foster.