On Wednesday, 17 January 2017, the refurbished villa at the address Komenskega 9 opened its doors to renovated premises where the young and the less young can continue creating within the scope of the Centre for Youth Culture Pionirski dom.

The following programmes are carried out in the renovated facilities:

• graphic arts, sculpture and painting for children,
• admission exam preparation and
• graphic arts, sculpture and painting for adults.

Joining them later on are film workshops, animated film workshops, fashion school and architectural workshops complemented by monthly events (architectural journeys, radio workshops, language and cultural workshops, art workshops) and different performances.

The villa throughout time

At the end of 19th century Ljubljana City councillor and first lieutenant Ivan Velkavrh (that is, Velkovrh), an advocate for a more beautiful city, commissioned the construction of a family villa at the current address Komenskega 9. Even back than the façade of the villa luxuriously decorated, especially on the northern, eastern and southern sides visible to the people passing by on the streets.
Since then many stories have been written behind the yellowish walls.
During the Second World War the Germans inhabited the house. In 1926 Baltazar Baebler bought the villa as a family home but after the war in 1947 it was taken away from the then co-owners, families Baebler and Brecelj, in a denationalisation procedure. The denationalisation claimants received compensation in 2003.
In 1962 the single-storey villa housed the Pionirska knjižnica (Pioneer Library) and with it the pioneer spirit inhabited the house. Already during the operation of the library the basement of the villa on Komensky Street was used for sculpture workshops within the Pionirski dom (Pioneer Home), and when the library moved out of the upper premises, the Pionirski dom, which was quite cramped up at the Baragovo semenišče (Barag Seminary), wanted to fill the whole building with creativity. They submitted their programme to the City of Ljubljana and gradually started renovating the worn-out facilities and the surrounding area.
The Pionirski dom received the construction permit for the renovation of the villa in 2014. During the renovation they not only refurbished the building, they also restored the doorway and other preserved historical elements of the house to their former lustre.
And so the house of the Pionirski dom on Komenskega 9 was finally thoroughly renovated. Ivan Velkavrh always wished for a building which would captivate the passers-by and infuse the city with beauty. For a long time the run-down villa enriched the city especially with diverse subjects for children. But the activities of the Pionirski dom bewitched numerous young artist to such a degree they chose artistic creativity as their life path. Now, after the complete renovation, the building again looks captivating.