Compressor station

The Idrija Compressor Station is part of the rich technical heritage of the mercury mine in Idrija, which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. As part of the post-earthquake reconstruction of the Posočje region, the old compressor station building from the 1960s, which had been severely damaged in the earthquake, was demolished and replaced by a new building on the same site, designed to preserve all of its architectural and spatial qualities. Due to the poor load-bearing capacity of the terrain, the new building is designed as a lightweight wooden shell covering the restored compressors on their original foundations, which were restored in situ and are also presented in their original location. The building houses a permanent exhibition that describes in detail the development of compressed air production for the needs of the mine and the stories of the compressor operators. The restored compressors, the exhibition and the wooden shell of the building combine the old with the new and commemorate the rich technical heritage of the mining town of Idrija.