The Crystal Palace in BTC City Ljubljana is the first building in Slovenia to receive a DGNB Certificate for Sustainable Buildings in Use, namely the Gold Certificate. This further attests to the building’s comprehensive sustainable design, management and long-term commitment to responsible business practices. This certification confirms that the building, designed more than 15 years ago with the future in mind, remains a model of progressive and comprehensive business environment which successfully responds to the modern environmental, social and economic challenges.
Built with responsibility toward the environment in mind, the Crystal Palace officially opened its doors in the autumn of 2011. With its glass façade and distinctive architecture, it is a recognisable feature of Ljubljana’s cityscape. It is situated in BTC City Ljubljana, one of the largest urban centres in Europe, where shopping, business and leisure facilities intertwine. Thanks to its accessibility, prime location and the quality of its premises, the Crystal Palace remains one of the most sought-after business locations in Slovenia. The building incorporates a number of modern technical solutions to ensure indoor comfort and reduce energy and water consumption, whilst certified electricity and district heating sources from renewable sources enable commercial tenants to significantly reduce their carbon footprint when using the leased premises.
The Crystal Palace also boasts a Green Terrace on the second floor of the building which covers an area of 2,500 m² and provides the employees with the ideal setting for a short break during work or for a relaxed get-together afterwards. The employees can also enjoy the urban park located in the immediate vicinity of the building. Covering an area of 12,000 m², the park is home to more than 260 trees, including fruit trees, as well as numerous shrubs. With its pleasant natural setting and the inclusion of various items of street furniture, such as wooden tables, benches and sun loungers, the park offers a pleasant and inviting spot for socialising and relaxing in natural surroundings.
The certification was carried out by the international company OTEREA, which specialises in sustainability consultancy within the property sector, in collaboration with the DGNB auditor, Mr Robert Smodiš. The project was supported by the Blue Auditor software tool, which was used to structure and document a wide range of data, including the environmental risk assessment and the CRREM analysis. Wolfgang Lukaschek, Managing Director of OTEREA, explains the final outcome: “The outcome of the certification process confirms that the Crystal Palace has consistently undergone the necessary adaptations. As a sustainably managed building, it also makes a positive contribution to climate protection. Therefore, it has been awarded the DGNB Gold Certificate for Sustainable Buildings in Use. Furthermore, the Crystal Palace is also the first building in Slovenia to receive this type of DGNB Certificate – i.e. a certificate designed to assess buildings that have already been constructed and are in use.”
Upon this occasion, Damjan Kralj, M.Sc., Chief Executive Officer at BTC, pointed out: “The Crystal Palace is a first-class building in the BTC’s property portfolio. Designed more than 15 years ago, it has consistently maintained all its competitive advantages throughout this time. It is the first choice for companies seeking premises in a premier business environment, backed by all the benefits of the dynamic BTC City Ljubljana ecosystem – a unique multi-purpose urban centre that combines shopping, business, culinary, leisure and recreational facilities with its own park, and a centre which will soon be complemented by a residential neighbourhood. The fact that the Crystal Palace has been awarded the prestigious and internationally recognised DGNB Gold certificate for Sustainable Buildings in Use demonstrates that we provide our commercial tenants with the highest level of transparency when it comes to sustainability in the commercial property sector. At the same time, it confirms that the vision for the building – designed at a time when sustainability in commercial property management was primarily in the domain of visionaries – has successfully stood the test of time.”
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