Autonomous Cultural Center Metelkova: the space of the subculture or the public urban space

Podoba mest se spreminja pod roko kapitala, ki usmerja in narekuje urbanizem mest in gradnjo novih objektov, brez vključevanja mestnih prebivalcev in zadovoljevanja njihovih potreb. Odprti prostori novih arhitekturnih posegov sledijo trendom oblikovanja, ki s principom – namenjeno je vsem – ustvarjajo monotone prostore, v katerih se prebivalci ne zadržujejo. To je glavna tematika strateških diskusij, ki pa v svoje razprave skoraj nikoli ne vključujejo avtonomnih prostorov. Če pa jih, gre navadno za to, da jih želijo podrediti sodobnim trendom oblikovanja. Avtonomni kulturni center Metelkova, do nedavnega edini preživeli avtonomni prostor v Sloveniji, obstaja zaradi horizontalnega samoiniciativnega delovanja skupnosti. Ta prostor ustvarja kreativno preko alternativne umetnosti, ki zajema vsak grajeni volumen in ploskev, je na voljo vsem in jasno nakazuje pomembnost participacije prebivalcev in uporabnikov prostora. Metelkova predstavlja izhodišče in navdih za raziskovanje principa oblikovanja prostora, ki z alternativno umetnostjo in skupnostnim načinom delovanja ustvarja t.i. organski urbanizem. Prostorske in likovne analize avtonomnega prostora so vzpostavile kriterije, ki so služili za nadaljni izbor in prostorske analize konvencionalnih prostorov v mestu. Le-ti se pojavljajo ob poteh grafitov, ki kot vrsta alternativne umetnosti izhajajo iz Metelkove. Naloga je organski in neorganski urbanizem primerjala na dva načina, najprej preko primerjave tipologij ambientov Metelkove in izbranih konvencionalnih prostorov, nato pa preko konkretne primerjave Metelkove s sosednjo muzejsko ploščadjo. Preučevanje avtonomnega prostora Metelkove je potrdilo visoko vrednost vključevanja prebivalcev in drugih uporabnikov v prostorske odločitve, kar jih spodbudi k uporabi njihovega prostora. Preučevanje razlik med oblikovanjem avtonomnega in običajnega mestnega prostora pa prav tako ponudi odgovor o umeščenosti Metelkove v polje enega ali drugega pojma.The appearance of cities is changing under the influence of capital, which directs and dictates urbanism and the proliferation of new buildings being built without involving the city’s inhabitants and meeting their needs. The open spaces of new architectural interventions are in line with design trends, which – through the principle of “for all residents” – create monotonous spaces where inhabitants do not linger. This is the main topic of strategic discussions. Yet, they never consider autonomous spaces, and in case they do, they usually tend to subordinate them to contemporary design trends. Metelkova, the only remaining autonomous space in Slovenia, continues to operate due to the horizontal self-initiated efforts of the community. The community generates creativity through alternative art encompassing every built volume and surface available to all and demonstrating the immense significance of residents’ and spatial users’ participation. Metelkova serves as a base point and a source for researching the principle of spatial design creating organic urbanism through alternative art and community engagement. Spatial and artistic analyses of autonomous space indicate criteria for the selection and spatial analysis of other urban spaces that emerge along the graffiti paths which stem from Metelkova as a type of alternative art. The comparison of organic and non organic urbanism – first through a comparison of the typologies of the ambiances of Metelkova and the selected urban spaces and then through a more concrete comparison of Metelkova with the adjacent museum platform – proves the high value of the involvement of inhabitants in spatial decisions, which encourages them to use their own space. However, the study of the differences between the spatial design of autonomous and open urban space also proposes an answer about the placement of Metelkova in the scope of either of these notions