Maruša Zorec, Maša Živec and Matjaž Bolčina from the architecture firm Arrea have shown sensitivity to the house's historical value and an understanding of how the house needed to be developed with small interventions.

Architecture can take the shape of large buildings or small details, what matters most is to create good architecture, the 11-member international jury said as it picked the winner from 56 entries. The award was conferred on Saturday.

The Plečnik House, the home of architect Jožef Plečnik (1872-1957), reopened in September 2015 after two years of renovation.

Located in the leafy Trnovo borough, it is a showcase of the famed architect's idiosyncratic solutions that had made him famous throughout Central Europe and beyond.

The renovation left the quirky details that he was famous for untouched and merely highlighted the most notable features of the house, which focuses the architect's work and thought process.

The Piran Days of Architecture are an international conference of architects boasting one of the longest traditions in the world.

This year, it was held for the 34rd time and focussed on the surface of architectural space.