Restoration Centre, Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS)

Established in 1982 as an entity within the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, the Restoration Centre has its studios at Poljanska cesta in Ljubljana. The Centre performs most complex conservation and restoration works on monuments of all kinds, including both movable and immovable heritage.

History

The beginnings of organized restoration activities date back to 1950, when a restoration department within then Institute for the Protection and Scientific Study of Cultural Monuments and Natural Heritage of Slovenia was organised.

In 1982 restoration department separated from newly renamed Institute as an independent institution. In 1999 the Restoration Centre became once again a part of the Institute. From 2008, after the reorganization of the Institute, the Restoration Centre operates under one of two main units of the Institute – the Conservation Centre.

Programme

The Restoration Centre takes care for the development and the direction of conservation and restoration profession. It leads and runs preliminary research work on monuments, prepares conservation plans for monuments owned by the state and conservation and restoration projects for most complex interventions, it carries out conservation and restoration on highly important monuments. It cooperates with other institutions and government departments and develops public awareness of conservation and restoration activities.

The Centre works according to appropriate criteria and methods, using the latest heritage technology (eg laser cleaning, copying, anoxy method, stone non-destructive research). It also engages in educational activities for professionals as well as for the secondary school and student population and the broader public. Several of its educational programmes are international in scope. The Restoration Centre prepares exhibitions; in 2008 there was an exhibition on development of the restoration science in the last decade.

Collections

Collections consist mainly of publications and documents: the library collection houses over 4000 inventory units, related to restoration, restoration technologies and related sciences; the documentation collection houses photographs, plans, archive of reports and other writing concerning interventions on the heritage, and video archive.

Branches

The Centre consists of several departments: the Architecture Department, the Painting Department (Table Painting Studio, Wall Painting Studio), the Sculpture Department (Wood Studio, Stone Studio), the Natural Science Department, the Documentation Department and the Library.

International Cooperation

The Centre cooperates with many international institutions; the anoxy method was introduced to Slovenia in cooperation with Metropolitan Museum in New York (USA), where it was developed. In 2006 the Centre was for the first time presented to an international audience at the fair of Restorers (Restauro) in Ferrara (Italy).

Awards

The office with its employees has won several Stele recognitions – in 2008 Barbka Gosar Hirci, in 2005 Mateja Kavčič, in 2004 Rado Zoubek, in 2003 Aleš Sotler.

External links

Restoration Centre website

Restoration Centre, Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS)

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