Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO) Slovenia
Founded in 1972 as the Architectural Museum Ljubljana, MAO is one of Europe’s oldest museums of architecture and design. Today, it is a dynamic institution that preserves Slovenia’s most comprehensive collection of architectural and design heritage. MAO brings together curators, editors, and producers who care for the past while shaping contemporary programmes. As a hub for professionals, students, and the wider public, MAO fosters understanding of how good architecture and design impact our lives. It inspires new audiences to explore architecture, design, and photography, highlighting the importance of heritage for creative innovation and sustainable development. As a national and international centre for knowledge exchange, MAO champions new models of cultural preservation and supports emerging talents.
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Eden najstarejših muzejev arhitekture in oblikovanja v Evropi, ustanovljen leta 1972 kot Arhitekturni muzej Ljubljana, je danes primer preoblikovanja muzejev v dinamične institucije z novimi funkcijami. MAO je skrbnik in promotor najobsežnejše svetovne zbirke slovenske arhitekturne in oblikovalske dediščine. MAO so kustosi, uredniki in producenti, ki skrbno zbirajo nacionalno dediščino in oblikujejo sodobne programe. MAO je destinacija za strokovnjake, študente in obiskovalce, ki jih zanimajo načela in prednosti dobre arhitekture in oblikovanja. Posebej pa nagovarja in navdihujejo posamezne ljubitelje in spogledljivce z arhitekturo, oblikovanjem in fotografijo ter jim pomaga prepoznati pomen hranjene dediščine za življenje ljudi, sodobno ustvarjalnost in razvoj v prihodnosti. Smo nacionalno in mednarodno središče in vozlišče za prenos znanja na področju dediščine in ustvarjalnosti z inovativnimi formati programov, namenjenim ohranjanju dediščine in podpori obetavnim ustvarjalcem.
Museum of Architecture and Design (MAO) Slovenia
01 Marjan Šorli and Domesticated Architecture: Kranj's City Café and patisserie
In the first years after the Second World War, the historic urban core of Kranj was increasingly opening up to new architecture. The former Mohor pastry shop, which had a cult role in Kranj even before the war, became the social centre of the city with a modern, completely custom-designed interior in the early 1950s. Marjan Šorli skilfully used traditional materials in contemporary pieces, upgraded with sophisticated expertise. Three generations of Kranj residents, former manager of Elektro Gorenjska Drago Štefe, architect Ciril Oblak, and head of the local history department at the Kranj library, Petra Puhar, share their memories of the iconic City Café in Kranj.
The podcast is part of a series of recordings created for the exhibition Marjan Šorli and Domesticated Architecture, on view at the Museum of Architecture and Design from 30 September 2025 to 8 February 2026.