The mobile youth centre Ljuba and Drago operating in Ljubljana has received an international award for interior design, the municipality announced on Friday. The prize is for the project of transforming a city bus into a mobile youth centre which has been in operation in the Slovenian capital since 2019.
A mobile youth centre with a sustainability side
Ljuba and Drago is the name of a mobile youth centre arranged in an old Ljubljana city bus. Its renovation and transformation into a mobile youth centre took place from December 2019 to March 2020 as a result of cooperation between Mladi zmaji (or Young dragons, a centre for quality leisure time for young people), the Ljubljana Passenger Transport Public Company and the City of Ljubljana.
14 young volunteers (2 boys and 12 girls) refurbished the used city bus into a youth centre with the help of mentors from the creative industries. The advantage of the centre lies in its mobility: it can still address the needs of young people even though it is not possible to set up a permanent youth centre at the moment.
Instead of becoming a burden for the environment, the old city bus embarked on a new journey for the benefit of the young members of the community. Image: City of Ljubljana / Jon Ziagar
The mobile centre with a sustainable concept (recycling what had otherwise become a useless vehicle) turned into a place for guidance where young people receive advice from experienced professionals according to the principles of “learning by doing”. Ljuba and Drago’s main focus is art, culture and creativity.
The municipal website informs that the bus also has its own kitchen, electricity and audio system, which can be used for concerts and music workshops. The bus drove through the streets of Ljubljana for the first time in February, but its activity was thwarted by the coronavirus pandemic that imposed social distancing.
At normal times, the mobile centre would be a place to listen to music, create, meet other Ljubljana residents, watch movies and naturally come up with creative ideas – a place where young people can discover their artistic expression.
As of last month, the project is also the winner of the BIG SEE AWARDS in the interior design category. The awards highlight and promote the business and creative potential of the South-East Europe region in the fields of architecture, interior design, product and fashion design, innovative woodworking and creative tourism.
Source: TheMayor.EU
