Piran Architecture Days 2025

Text: Zsolt Gunther
Photos: Jadran Rusjan, Miha Lorenčak

Piran has almost imperceptibly become one of the reference points of European architectural discourse. It is not with fanfare or loud fanfare that architects gather here year after year in this small coastal town in Slovenia. The conference is now accompanied by several exhibitions held at various locations all over the town, as well as an exhibition opening on Saturday, which presents the 55 most outstanding buildings of the past year from the participating eleven countries and 40 designs from 20 invited architects in the former salt warehouse, right on the waterfront. The works on display are not merely for representational purpose as: the prize is the prestigious Pirani Architecture Award. In addition to the lectures, another highlight of Piran each year is the award ceremony. In 2025, it was a particular pleasure to see Péter Szabó’s (okka architectural office) weekend house winning the Piran Architecture Award. The jury praised the project primarily for its experimentation with building materials, combining the vernacular with the contemporary: old, damaged stone structures were reborn in rammed concrete walls. The sensitive tectonics of the house as well as the dissolution of boundaries between interior and exterior spaces enhance the landscape experience in the small rural setting.