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Treat yourself with a well-read and learn about our cultural heritage!
We prepare content of the protection, legislation, exhibitions, publications, and domestic and international projects.

Departments

The Restoration Centre is made up of eight departments.

In our work with heritage we are bound to an ethical codex adopted in the international conservation and restoration profession. The core of our work is founded on preserving heritage and making as few changes to it as possible. Any work done can alter its artistic or technological design, any unsuitable use of technology or material can accelerate its deterioration and any undertaking that is not thought through carefully could destroy the values given to us by the heritage. 

The conservation and restoration undertakings must therefore be managed carefully, all procedures must be documented, and our work must adhere to the principles of:

  • preserving authenticity in form, material and technologies used,
  • making undertakings only where this is necessary to stop deterioration (minimal intervention),
  • using reversible procedures (reversability), as well as
  • using compatible materials (compatibility).

Project planning department

To handle the conservation and restoration undertakings required for the preservation of architectural heritage is the basic mission of the Project planning department. The majority of our work is based on the creation of conservation plans and project documentation (building permit project, detailed design), on the basis of which, in cooperation with all the departments of the Restoration centre, IPCHS regional units and with specialists from other fields, we plan undertakings to architectural heritage.

IRENA POTOČNIK, head of the department
Telephone number: 00386 1234 31 25
E-mail: irena.potocnik@zvkds.si

Department for natural science research

The natural science department carries out preliminary natural science analyses on item of cultural heritage. Our tasks include the identification of material, analysis of their changes, determining the authenticity and original appearance of an item, as well as analysing the effects of preliminary conservation and restoration undertakings on cultural heritage. In our work we use various methods, both non-invasive and those that require we take (micro)samples.

KATJA KAVKLER, head of the department
Telephone number: 00386 1234 31 68
E-mail:katja.kavkler@zvkds.si

Department for classic canvas painting

The department is responsible for rescuing movable art heritage on canvas and occasionally also on other mediums (cardboard, metal, wood). To covers an extensive part of Slovenian art heritage which can be found in monasteries, churches, museums, state institutions, as well as other owners. 

BARBKA GOSAR HIRCI, head of the department
Telephone number: 00386 1234 31 36
E-mail:barbka.hirci@zvkds.si

Department for murals and mosaics

The principal activity of the department is the preservation and presentation of murals and mosaics that are linked to Slovenian architectural or archaeological heritage. 

MARTINA LESAR KIKELJ, head of the department
Telephone number: 00386 1234 31 30
E-mail:martina.kikelj@zvkds.si

Department for wood

Wooden polychrome plastic comprises a large part of Slovenian heritage, as the following items all come under this title: alters, pulpits, statues, painted wooden ceilings, wooden building fixtures and fittings, as well as sacred and profane architectural heritage. Extravagant surface treatments with polychrome, gold and silver gilding, etc., beneath layers of chalk bases hide a very sensitive medium – wood. Conservation-restorers of wooden plastic deal with a wide range of issues due to the variety of materials and phenomena, determining the reason for its deterioration and removing these harmful factors. 

NUŠKA DOLENC KAMBIČ, head of the department 
Telephone number: 00386 1234 31 48
E-mail:nusa.dolenc@zvkds.si

Department for stone and stuccowork

The department’s main activity is to prepare programmes and projects for preserving stone heritage and stuccowork, and carrying out conservation and restoration undertakings on these. With the help of the natural science department and external associates, we identify the materials and the reasons for and types of damage found on monuments, and then, on the basis of this, we decide on the most suitable way to disassemble and then reassemble the monument, how to remove formations from the surfaces, how to fix the damage and what final protection to use on the monument. The department also provides training for stone cutters - restoration workers, we organise workshops and presentaions of contemporary materials and restoration methods. 

NINA ŽBONA, head of the department
Telephone number: 00386 1234 41 42
E-mail:nina.zbona@zvkds.si

Department for metals, ceramics and other materials

The main activity of this department is the conservation and restoration of metal and ceramic items (porcelain dishes, ceramic vases, silverware, gold jewellery, etc.). The work here is organised into projects, with experts from other departments and outside associates assisting in these tasks as part of the Restoration Centre when necessary. 

Documentation

The documentation department collects, processes and stores documents about the conservation and restoration undertakings. The documentation includes a photo section, plan section, as well as detailed rebports on undertakings carried out on heritage. In recent years, the conservation and restoration work has also been documented using a video camera, therefore video archives are being created. 

VALENTIN BENEDIK, head of the department
Telephone number: 00386 1234 31 16
E-mail:tine.benedik@zvkds.si

Department for general matters

The department comprises the secretary’s office, the financial and analitical office, a warehouse and technical support team. The department also offers support to the specialist departments, with the purpose of the preliminary work preparation to be carried out quickly, precisely and in coordination with the conservation-restorers.

NATAŠA NIK, head of the department
Telephone number: 00386 1234 31 41
E-mail:natasa.nik@zvkds.si

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