The business skyscraper the Crystal palace, which has been built in the western part of BTC City between A hall and the existing business skyscraper, has today reached its highest point of 89 metres. Construction workers have, according to the plan, finished the construction of the 20 floor business building and its rooftop covering which will be used to cover various installations at the height of 89 metres. With its construction the Crystal palace became the tallest building in Slovenia, as it is even higher that the WTC Ljubljana Skyscraper (75 metres) and the renowned Ljubljana Skyscraper (70 metres). The investor is the company Skai center d.o.o., which is in 100% ownership of BTC d.d., with the investment value being 54 mio EUR.
At this solemn event both Jože Mermal, the president of BTC management, and Zoran Janković, the mayor of Ljubljana, gave great meaning to the construction of the Crystal Palace for further development of Ljubljana. “For its further development Ljubljana needs this kind of contemporary urban based projects like this business skyscraper in BTC. This on the one hand expresses a strong will and clearly set strategy of BTC Management in the development of this area, while on the other it makes it possible to fulfill the vision of further development of Ljubljana. The Crystal palace also represents an important aspect of the urban project “Partnerstvo Šmartinka” (Šmartinka Partnership), which will bring Ljubljana new spatial, urban and architectural solutions. I want more projects like this for Ljubljana in the near future, and that all the planned activities of other investors, which are currently put on hold, would be realized” said Zoran Janković, the mayor of Ljubljana.
The construction of a 20-story skyscraper, for which the foundation was set in May 2009, has been realized according to the proposed plan. “The construction work will be finished in January 2011, leaseholders and buyers will be able to move in to the offices of the Crystal palace in April or May 2011. Business partners have been signed for more than half of business space already. In accordance with the efforts and the strategy of BTC Company, which gives great emphasis on the environmental and sustainable development, the Crystal palace will be constructed according to the highest environment-protection standards. With this reason, the southern façade of the skyscraper will have built-in systems for production of electricity on the basis of solar energy, while the building will be connected to a system of remote heat supply. On the other hand, ice accumulators, which will at night, when more electric energy is available, store ice, will during the day be used to cool the building. The Crystal palace will be, and already is, an example of energetically efficient construction”, as explained by Jože Mermal, the president of BTC management.
The Crystal palace, which is being built by the construction company GPG d.d. and for which the architectural idea was made by Atelje S, will be a modern and energetically economical building, equipped by a solar power plant with 100 kWp power. The building, which is 89 metres high, with entire ground surface amounting to 46.000 square metres, has 543 parking spaces. Besides business offices the Crystal palace will also be home to a shopping gallery, a congress centre and a centre of good health, as well as a sweetshop on the 20th floor and a restaurant which will extend over three floors.
Invited to a festive event of setting a spruce on the top of the tallest building in Slovenia, were not only architects, urban planners, members of the city council and business partners, but also contractors and workers, who built the skyscraper.
Additional information:
Maja Oven, director of Marketing and Public Relations
- phone: 01/585 13 15
- e-mail: maja.oven@btc.si
