A square below the castle and a playground "Zamorc" in Škofja Loka

Škofja Loka is Slovenia’s oldest and most carefully preserved medieval town. It is situated at the confluence of the Poljane Sora and the Selca Sora rivers, at the transition of the Sora Plain into the Škofja Loka Hills and the Polhov Gradec Hills. The old town center stands on river terraces and is composed of an upper square called Mestni Trg, and the lower, Spodnji Trg, both of which are dominated by the Škofja Loka Castle, rising above the city for at least since 1215 when it was first mentioned.

Much of the town was damaged by fires in 1660 and 1698. The defensive walls gradually became obsolete and were mostly removed together with the town gates in 1789. After that not much attention was given to the quality of the open public spaces of Škofja Loka – with the arrival of the car, most of them became neglected for the use of pedestrians.

In the year 2013, a public competition for the arrangement of open public spaces of the old town of Škofja Loka and regulation of shores of both Sora rivers took place. In August 2017, with the renovation of »The square under the Castle« and »Zamorc playground«, the second phase of the realization of the winning project was completed.

The vital objective of this phase was to renovate the southern entrance to the old town, an area between the remaining city wall and Town Hall building, which is also a starting point of the path towards the main castle entrance. Before the renovation, the area was mostly used for parking. Since it was also the place where the two most important traditional events take place – it is one of the sets for the oldest Slovene play »Škofja Loka Passion Play« as well as Traditional Skiing contest with old wooden gear; the importance of renovation was of no doubt.

The existing topography and intertwining of cultural and historical layers dictated minimal interventions. Special attention was given to the connection of the square with the castle. A new amphitheatrical staircase was created for this purpose, designed to enable continuous use throughout the year and combine several functions simultaneously.

An integral part of the renovation was also a playground above Town Hall. The idea for the design arises from the local legend about the Freising landlord, attacked by a bear and saved by his black servant. To show his thanks the landlord depicted the servant`s face on the coat of arms. This is how, as locally called »Zamorc«, became the symbol of Škofja Loka.

Elements of the story became the starting point for the design. The characters from the story are presented in the metal fence, while the central green area is an abstracted image of the forest - the Poljanska Valley, where the lord was supposed to be attacked.

Materials used are based on local origin: stone accents in the ground and supporting walls are made in local limestone and granite, the site-cast concrete paving, and the pre-cast elements contain an aggregate of local origin.

The renewed space of the »Square under the Castle«emphasizes and expresses its importance as a starting point into the old town or towards the Škofja Loka Castle. The amphitheatrical staircase creates an appropriate setting for traditional and new events as well as a setting for the everyday life of the Škofja Loka residents. The integrated ramp provides accessibility for disabled and parents with prams to the castle and to »Zamorc playground«. The children`s playground is a widely known attraction: educating children about the history of their city while playing and also offering tactile experiences for the Blind and Partially Sighted.