Design Horizon
A Journey of Architecture and Design Discovery
Design Horizons is an annual program that brings together a curated group of Turkish architects and designers for an immersive exploration of different countries' architectural, cultural, and design contexts. Each year, the program travels to a new destination, hosted by a local sponsor that offers deep insights into the country's design ecosystem.
The itinerary aligns with academic events, conferences, or festivals, ensuring participants engage with current regional discourse. Through curated site visits, exclusive access to key projects, and conversations with local experts, the group explores challenges and innovations shaping contemporary architecture and design.
Beyond exploration, Design Horizons facilitates connections between Turkish participants and local professionals, creating space for idea exchange, potential collaborations, and engagement with investors and employers.
Slovenia 2025
This program focused on professional exchange, learning, and site visits, offering Turkish architects and designers the opportunity to explore architectural projects, urban spaces, and research institutions in Slovenia. As part of this experience, participants were also introduced to Intra Lighting in its home environment, ensuring a deeper understanding of its context and expertise.
Key Objectives Achieved
Engaged with Slovenia's architectural and urban environment
Understood Intra Lighting's design philosophy and production processes
Participated in the BIG SEE Architecture Festival
Visited InnoRenew Research Center, an innovative timber construction research facility
Explored Ljubljana as a model city, with a focus on Plečnik's architectural legacy
Program
Day 1: Arrival to Ljubljana
Tuesday, May 20
The group arrived at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport and checked into the Exe Lev Hotel. The first evening was spent exploring Ljubljana's Old Town with a walking tour, introducing participants to the city's historic character and architectural heritage.
Day 2: Intra Lighting & Goriška Brda
Wednesday, May 21
The day began with a visit to Intra Lighting Headquarters in Šempeter pri Novi Gorici, where participants met with Marino Furlan, President of Intra Lighting Group. The program included a comprehensive tour of the Light Mastery Center and factory facilities, providing insights into cutting-edge lighting technologies and design processes. The day concluded in the Goriška Brda wine region with wine tasting at Movia and dinner, combining cultural immersion with professional networking.
Day 3: BIG SEE Festival & InnoRenew Center
Thursday, May 22
Participants attended the BIG SEE Architecture Festival in Portorož, featuring key debates including "Human Touch in AI" and "Envisioning a City: Future Perspectives from North and South." The latter session was curated by Selçuk Avcı, bringing together distinguished city architects from northern and southern cities of the Southeast European region to discuss urban transformation, sustainability, and resilience. After lunch in the historic coastal town of Piran, the group visited the InnoRenew Research Center in Izola, Slovenia's largest wooden building, showcasing innovative timber construction research and sustainable building technologies.
Day 4: Ljubljana Architecture Tour & Departure
Friday, May 23
The final day featured a guided architectural walk through Ljubljana, with visits to the National and University Library (NUK) and Plečnik Museum. Participants explored Jože Plečnik's architectural legacy and had free time to visit museums and explore the city before departing for Istanbul.
BIG SEE Architecture Festival
Participants engaged with BIG SEE, a platform promoting creativity and innovation in Southeast Europe, focusing on architecture, design, and urban development. The festival brought together professionals to discuss current trends and future challenges in architecture.
Featured Sessions Attended:
Human Touch in AI – Exploring AI's role in architectural design
Envisioning a City: Future Perspectives from North and South – Curated by Selçuk Avcı, this session featured four distinguished city architects sharing their visions for urban futures across the Southeast European region
Plečnik's Ljubljana
The group explored the architectural legacy of Jože Plečnik (1872–1957), who transformed Ljubljana into a harmonious, people-oriented city between the 1920s and 1950s. Participants studied his approach to blending classical influences with local traditions through his designs of bridges, squares, markets, and the National and University Library. His integration of history with modern urban needs created Ljubljana's cohesive and sustainable cityscape, which earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 2021, demonstrating a visionary model for human-centered urbanism.
InnoRenew Research Center
The group explored Slovenia's largest wooden building, designed by architects Eva Prelovšek Niemelä and Aarne Niemelä. This innovative timber construction research facility showcased cutting-edge sustainable building technologies and featured lighting solutions by Intra Lighting, demonstrating the integration of advanced lighting design in sustainable architecture.
The seminer hosted Intra lighting, which is a global brand for architectural luminaires, offering mostly complete, user centric and energy efficient lighting solutions since 1989.
