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

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ZVKDS Restavratorski center

Poljanska 40, SI-1000 Ljubljana

http://www.rescen.si

info@rescen.si

Phone386 (0) 234 3100

ProprietorInstitute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia

Jernej Hudolin, Head

Phone386 (0) 1 234 3140

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

In 1982 the restoration department separated from the newly renamed institute as an independent institution. In 1999 the Restoration Centre once again became a part of the larger institute. Since 2008, after the reorganisation of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, the Restoration Centre operates under the Conservation Centre, one of two main units of the institute.

Programme

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

The Restoration Centre works according to appropriate criteria and methods, using the latest heritage technology (for example, laser cleaning, copying, anoxy method, stone non-destructive research). 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.

It also engages in educational activities for professionals as well as for secondary school and university students and the broader public. The Restoration Centre also prepares exhibitions: in 2008 there was an exhibition on the development of the restoration science since the late 1990s.

The Documentation Department and the Library maintains two collections, consisting mainly of publications and documents: the "library collection" houses over 4000 inventory items, related to restoration, restoration technologies, and related sciences; the "documentation collection" houses photographs, plans, an archive of reports and other writings concerning interventions on heritage, and a video archive.

Employees of the Restoration Centre have won several Stele Awards for their work through the centre – Barbka Gosar Hirci (2008), Mateja Kavčič (2005), Rado Zoubek (2004), and Aleš Sotler (2003).

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 for Restorers ('Restauro) in Ferrara (Italy). Several of its educational programmes are international in scope.

See also

• Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia
• Association of Slovene Restorers
• Preventive Archaeology Centre

External links

• Restoration Centre website