The ninth unique artistic bench, named “Ensemble”, was designed by architect Janko Rožič. It is located at Židovski trg in Maribor. The bench is made of metal and wood. The ceremonial unveiling took place on 21 December 2016.
Janko Rožič works as an architect, urbanist, lecturer, and essayist. He operates in his own studio, collaborates with architects from the Open Circle, and teaches at the Department of Architecture at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Architecture at the University of Maribor. He was the initiator, designer, and architect of the multiple award-winning and internationally renowned Hostel Celica in Ljubljana. For the House Raduha in Luče, he, along with collaborators Gašper Drašler and Matjaž Suhadolc, received the “Golden Sickle” award, while for the Rinka Centre in Solčava, he, together with Uroš Lobnik and Andreja Podlipnik, was awarded the “Golden Pencil”, the Plečnik Medal, and the international Constructive Alps Award. Through both theoretical and practical work, he connects his own creativity with the ancient wisdom of placing architecture in space and the most contemporary artistic, scientific, and philosophical insights. He is the author of numerous essays and co-author of the book Messages of Space.
Story of the Bench
The ellipse, which coinsides best with the circle around the tree and the rectangular outline of the old Jewish Square, serves as a stage and also somewhat resembles a raft. Two stones incorporated into the bench—tonalite from Pohorje and sandstone from Kozjak—symbolise the mountain range and hills that frame the development of the city of Maribor. Positioned between the synagogue and the defensive tower, between the temple and the fortress, and between the worldly and the sacred, the tree stands as the living centre of the square. Meanwhile, the bench, as the “Ensemble”, brings together all these elements.
