Ilirija Sports Center opened its doors to the public
In March, Ljubljana officially inaugurated the Ilirija Sports Center. With the new, modern sports center in the city center, the Slovenian capital has provided top athletes and recreational sportsmen with quality conditions for training and recreation, in addition to obtaining a space with modern equipment for holding major international competitions. Not least, event organisers can now host large receptions in the modern sports centre.
Ljubljana got its first indoor Olympic swimming pool at the renovated Ilirija, which is intended primarily for Ljubljana sports clubs and associations and Slovenian national teams. The entire center will primarily be intended for registered athletes and the implementation of the Annual Sports Program of the City of Ljubljana, primary and secondary schools and the university, and in the remaining timeslots also for recreational use. At the same time, this is a place where we will be able to host domestic and international competitions in water sports at the highest level. The President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia, Franjo Bobinac, announced that the Ilirija Sports Center will also become a national Olympic center.
One of the most environment-friendly Slovenian sports centres
The construction of the Ilirija Sports Center represents the largest sports project in Ljubljana, and the entire complex is one of the first public buildings in Slovenia to meet the criteria for self-sufficient buildings, as the building is heated and cooled with the help of a solar power plant and heat pumps, thus obtaining almost all the energy needed for operation from reversible sources. The solar power plant on the roof produces approximately 763.13 megawatt hours of electricity annually, which is enough to supply 188 households.
The Ilirija Sports Center is therefore among the most environmentally acceptable and emission-neutral large buildings in Slovenia.
Mayor Zoran Janković said: “Today is a day of victory for me, a day of success. My heart is full. I want to thank all my colleagues, my best team, for the excellent work they have done. After more than a quarter of a century, we have an exceptional complex with the first indoor Olympic swimming pool. I would also like to thank the designers, supervisors and contractors.”
The Ilirija Sports Center is divided into four parts:
– The entrance area with the reconstructed facade of the old Ilirija and the statue Bather, including a reception area, a restaurant and the Stanko Bloudek Museum, dedicated to a pioneer of Slovenian sports.
– Indoor area with an Olympic and training pool and stands accommodating up to 1,500 visitors.
– A facility with four sports halls, connected to the swimming pool area by an overpass.
– Outdoor sports areas extending between the center and the Sports Club Narodni dom.
The place for indoor sports, basketball, volleyball, handball, gymnastics and martial arts
Four sports halls are designed for the following activities: a multi-purpose hall for indoor sports practice and recreational activities, a basketball hall for basketball, volleyball and handball training and competitions, a gymnastics hall for gymnastics disciplines, and a martial arts hall specially designed for martial arts.
Outdoor activities
There are recreational areas between the Ilirija Sports Center and the Sports Club Narodni dom – a multi-purpose playground and a beach volleyball court, outdoor fitness equipment for outdoor exercise and an athletics track. For the youngest, there is an outdoor splash pad and a children’s pool.
Find out more about the Ilirija Sports Center here.
