knjigarna.

com swis721
CMYK 10/100/90/0

Andrej Hrausky Janez Koelj

ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE TO

LJUBLJANA
107 Selected Buildings

Photographs: Miran Kambi Design: Beti Jazbec Translation: Erica Johnson Debeljak, Jana Cedilnik, Darja Sunesko Editor: Barbara Bogataj Printed by: Schwarz d.o.o. First printing Rokus Gifts, Ltd., 2007. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise - unless the written permission of the publisher has been obtained beforehand. This book my not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of biding or cover other than in which it is published, without the prior consent of the publisher.

Rokus Gifts, Ltd. Gosposvetska cesta 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia EU Telephone: 01 234 97 20, Fax: 01 234 97 30 E-mail: darila@darila.com, www. darila.com

knjigarna.com swis721
72(497.4Ljubljana)(036) Prevod dela: Arhitekturni vodnik po Ljubljani ISBN 978-961-6531-32-0 1. Koelj, Janez, 1945232455680

CIP - Kataloni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjinica, Ljubljana

HRAUSKY, Andrej Architectural guide to Ljubljana : 107 selected buildings / Andrej Hrausky, Janez Koelj ; [photographs Miran Kambi]. 1. printing. - Ljubljana : Darila Rokus, 2007. - (Heart edition)

CMYK 10/100/90/0

heart edition

Andrej Hrausky Janez Koelj

ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE TO

LJUBLJANA
107
Selected Buildings

knjigarna.com swis721
CMYK 10/100/90/0

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

Contents

8 Introduction 19 107 Selected Buildings Ljubljanski grad 20 Ljubljana Castle kofijski dvorec 22 Bishops Hall Grad Fuine 24 Fuine Castle Codellijev kanonikat 26 Codelli Canonry Cerkev sv. Jakoba 28 Saint James Church Stiki dvorec 30 Stina Hall Auerspergova palaa 32 Auersperg Palace Franikanska cerkev Marijinega 34 Franciscan Church of the Annunciation oznanjenja of Mary Stolnica sv. Nikolaja 36 Saint Nicholas Cathedral Semenie 38 Seminary Krievnika cerkev 40 Krianke Church Magistrat/Mestna hia 42 City Hall Urulinska cerkev sv. Trojice 44 Ursuline Church of the Holy Trinity Cerkev sv. Petra 46 Saint Peters Church Schweigerjeva hia/Hia Lili Novy 48 Schweiger House/Lili Novy House Steinbergova hia 50 Steinberg House Cekinov grad/Muzej noveje zgodovine 52 Sequin Castle/The Museum of the Barbova palaa 54 Contemporary History Gruberjeva palaa 56 Barbo Palace Lontov/Slovenska akademija 58 Gruber Palace znanosti in umetnosti Slovenian Academy of Arts and Sciences Friedl-Recharjeva hia 60 Friedl-Rechar House Souvanova hia 62 Souvan House Kazina 64 Kazina Evropa 66 Evropa Realka/Srednja ola zaCMYK 68 Secondary School of Electrical elektrotehniko in raunalnitvo Engineering and Computer Science 10/100/90/0 Cerkev Srca Jezusovega 70 Sacred Heart Church Rudolfinum/Narodni muzej 72 National Museum Deelno gledalie/Opera 74 Provincial Theatre/Opera House

knjigarna.com swis721

4 Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

Contents

Slovenska filharmonija 76 Slovenian Philharmonic Hall Narodni dom/Narodna galerija 78 National House/National Gallery Poslopje Deelne vlade/ 80 The Palace of the Provincial Government/ Vladna palaa Government Palace Filipov dvorec in Kresija 82 Philip Hall and Kresija Sodie 84 Court Building Deelni dvorec/Univerza 86 Provincial Hall/University Building Zmajski most 88 Dragon Bridge Krisperjeva hia 90 Krisper House udnova hia 92 uden House Centromerkur 94 Centromerkur Hribarjeva hia 96 Hribar House Stanovanjska stavba na Dalmatinovi ulici 98 Dalmatinova Apartment House Mestna hranilnica 100 City Savings Bank Hotel Union 102 Hotel Union Mladika 104 Mladika Stanovanjski stavbi Kmetske 106 Apartment Houses of the Agricultural Loan Bank posojilnice Bambergova hia 108 Bamberg House Nemko gledalie/ 110 German Theatre/Slovenian National Theatre Drama Cerkev sv. Joefa 112 Saint Josephs Church Nemka hia 114 German House Drofenigova hia 116 Drofenig House Stavba Zemljike knjige 118 Building for Land Registry Plenikova hia 120 Plenik House Trgovinska zbornica/Ustavno sodie 122 Chamber of Commerce/Constitutional Court of the Republic of Slovenia Republike Slovenije Cerkev sv. Franika Asikega 124 Church of Saint Francis of Assisi Sokolski dom/Dom na Taboru 126 Sokol Gymnastic Hall/Sports Hall Tabor MeksikaCMYK 128 Meksika Palaa Potne hranilnice 130 The Post Office Savings Bank 10/100/90/0 Vzajemna zavarovalnica 132 The Mutual Insurance Building Tromostovje 134 The Three Bridges Nebotinik 136 Skyscraper

knjigarna.com swis721

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 5

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

Contents

Ekonomska ola Ljubljana 138 Ljubljana High School of Economics Mali nebotinik 140 Little Skyscraper Vila Oblak 142 Villa Oblak Peglezen 144 Flat Iron Building Dukievi bloki 146 Duki Apartment Houses Narodna in univerzitetna knjinica 148 National University Library Fakulteta za montanistiko 150 Faculty of Mining Cerkev sv. Mihaela na Barju 152 Church of Saint Michael in the Marsh ale 154 ale Cemetery Zapornica na Ljubljanici 156 The Ljubljanica Lock Gate Trnice 158 Main Market Moderna galerija 160 Modern Gallery Urad vlade RS za komuniciranje 162 Government Communication Office Krianke/Festival Ljubljana 164 Krianke/Festival Ljubljana Gospodarsko razstavie 166 Convention Center Ministrstvo za pravosodje in 168 Ministry of Justice and Finance finance Republike Slovenije of the Republic of Slovenia Stavba Okronega dravnega toilstva 170 Attorney General's Buidling tudentski center 172 Student Union Kozolec 174 Kozolec Parlament/Dravni zbor 176 Parliament/National Assembly of the Republike Slovenije Republic of Slovenia Stanovanjski blok na Prulah 178 Prule Apartment House Trg Republike in 180 Republic Square and Cankar Cultural and Cankarjev dom 184 Congress Center Metalka 186 Metalka Tiskarna Mladinska knjiga 188 Mladinska knjiga Printing House Astra Business Center Poslovno-trgovski center Astra Trgovska hia v iki 190 ika Commercial Center Poslovna stavba Konstrukta 192 Konstrukta Business Building MurgleCMYK 194 Murgle Ferantov vrt 196 Ferant Garden 10/100/90/0 Stanovanjski stolpnici na 198 Kersnikova Apartment Houses Kersnikovi ulici Otroki vrtec Mladi rod, enota Vetrnica 200 Mladi rod Kindergarten, Vetrnica

knjigarna.com swis721

6 Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

Contents

Mednarodna avtomatska 202 telefonska centrala Gledalie za otroke in mladino 204 Tehnini center Ljubljanske banke 206 Cerkev Kristusovega uloveenja 208 v Dravljah Poslovno-stanovanjska hia 210 na Poljanski cesti Stanovanjska stavba na Slomkovi ulici 212 Srednja zdravstvena ola 214 Gospodarska zbornica Slovenije 216 Kompleks Kapitelj s Pravno fakulteto 218 Podjetje in trgovina Arcadia 220 Poslovno-stanovanjska stavba martinka 222 Poslovna stavba Linde 224 Rezidenca veleposlanika kraljevine 226 Nizozemske v Sloveniji Condominium Trnovski pristan 228 Hia XXS v Krakovem v Ljubljani 230 Dijaki dom 232 Vzpenjaa na Ljubljanski grad 234

International Telephone Exchange Theatre for Children and Youth Ljubljanska Bank Technical Center Church of Christs Incarnation in Dravlje Poljanska Business/Residential Complex Slomkova Apartment House Medical High School Slovenian Chamber of Commerce Kapitelj Complex and Law School Arcadia Building Office and apartment building martinka The office building Linde The Royal Netherlands Embassy's Offices, Slovenia Condominium Trnovski pristan House XXS in Krakovo, Ljubljana Student dormitory Funicular Railway to Ljubljana Castle

Slovar manj znanih izrazov 237 Glossary Kazalo zgradb 243 Index of Buildings Kazalo arhitektov 248 Index of Architects Viri in literatura 255 Sources and Bibliography Barona Ljubljana 257 Baroque Ljubljana Secesijska Ljubljana 261 Secession Ljubljana Plenikova Ljubljana 265 Pleniks Ljubljana Zemljevid mestnega sredia 268 Map of Central Ljubljana Zemljevid mesta z vrisanimiCMYK of Ljubljana with City Bus Lines 277 Map avtobusnimi progami

knjigarna.com swis721
10/100/90/0

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 7

Introduction
Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

Roman City
Cities emerge in important places: at the junctures of roads, lands and cultures. Ljubljana positioned on the way from Rome to Byzantium, from Vienna to the Adriatic Sea, from the Balkans toward Europe is no exception. Anton Toma Linhart, in his history of Carniola, refers to the legend of a settlement on the site of contemporary Ljubljana and established by the Argonauts, no less. The Ljubljanica River, with its source only 65 kilometres away from the city in the direction of the Adriatic Sea, but still flowing into the Sava, the Danube, and finally the distant Black Sea, supports this legend. The Argonauts fled home from Black Sea by the river and

knjigarna.com swis721
CMYK 10/100/90/0
Ground plan of Emona

8 Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

not by the sea. They could come all the way to Ljubljana and take their boats over the mountains, and were then only a short distance from Greece. It has been proven that this was the way of the Amber road and that boats were carried over the mountains. But whatever the reasons may be, this place was inhabited long before the Romans came in the beginning of the first century A.D. and built a stronghold named Julia Emona on the left bank of the Ljubljanica. By decree of the Roman Emperors August and Tiberius, the colony was given the status of a municipality and became the first urban settlement on this territory. The remnants of the Roman city walls, organized into an archaeological park by the 20th century Slovenian architect Joe Plenik, can be seen on Jamova Street in the neighbourhood of Mirje. Slovenska and Rimska Streets run in the direction of the Roman cardo and decumanus, and at their crossing there used to be a forum. Today the area contains the Ferant Garden apartment house complex designed by the architect Edvard Ravnikar. The architect recalled the forum with a semi-circular brick wall on one of the facades, following the shapes of a circular Roman building that stood there.

Fortified City
Until the completion of the Southern Railway in the 19th century, Ljubljana was an important river port. Shipments came by road to the Ljubljanica and were then carried by barge across the vast marshy plain of the Ljubljansko Barje to the south. The citys name was mentioned in the middle of the 12th century: first by the German name Laibach, and, soon afterward, by the Slovenian version, Luwigana. Originally, the settlement beneath the castle, which received city rights circa 1200, was the property of the noble Spanheims. Later, it was elevated to the capital of the Carniola province. In 1335, the city passed into the hands of Habsburgs and became an important stronghold on the way to the sea. Medieval Ljubljana evolved around three squares: Stari trg and Mestni trg on one side of the Ljubljanica River, and Novi trg on the other. In the citys early years, only Mestni trg was linked to the castle and its fortified walls. Later, ramparts surrounded the areas around both Stari trg and Novi trg also. Stari trg and Mestni trg are wedged between Castle Hill and the river, and a series of funnel-shaped squares evolved along these streets. Only the part of Novi trg around Krianke monastery, the provincial mansion, and the pier on the left bank of the Ljubljanica had a regular shape. The square was surrounded by a wall and moat that abutted the east side CMYK of the ancient Roman fortifications. The centre of medieval Ljubljana was in Trana 10/100/90/0 trg on the same site where until 1484, when City Hall was constructed on Mestni it is today. In order to optimally use the circumvallated (walled) lots, town houses had only three window axes facing the street. Medieval row houses were separated

knjigarna.com swis721

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 9

Ground plan of medieval city

by 1-meter-wide corridors in order to reduce the danger of fire. The corridors were closed at their street entrances with doors. Some of these houses with characteristic gables facing the street are still preserved in Gornji trg.

Venetian Baroque City

In 1511, a major earthquake struck Ljubljana and caused a great deal of damage all over Carniola. During the restoration process, narrow medieval houses were linked, expanded deeper into building plots, and made into larger palaces with courtyards. The direction of the roofs was changed, and the ridges were thus parallel to the street. More changes, in particular the introduction of Baroque in Carniola, came during the triumphant Counter Reformation. From the point of view of the Jesuits who came to Ljubljana in 1597 and crucially contributed to the defeat of Reformation, both Gothic and Renaissance architecture were unacceptable; the former because it was a sign of Lutheranism and the latter because it gave a central CMYK position to man. Only Baroque cathedrals, with their magnificence and ceremonial 10/100/90/0 this historical period, Baroque grandeur, had the power to inspire the faithful. During art was not merely a matter of taste but also a symbol of affiliation with Roman Catholicism. Baroque reached its peak in Ljubljana at the beginning of the 18th

knjigarna.com swis721

10 Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

century when, on the initiative of the Academia Operosorum Labaciensis (16931701), well-known Italian artists, mainly from the neighbouring Venetian Republic, were brought to Ljubljana: the architect Andrea Pozzo, the sculptor Francesco Robba, and the painter Giulio Quaglio, among others. They taught the building trade to Gregor Maek, who is frequently cited as the first Slovenian architect. In Ljubljana, a number of new churches, Saint Nicholas Cathedral important among them, were systematically built. City Hall was erected and many old houses were heightened and adorned with

knjigarna.com swis721
CMYK 10/100/90/0
Ground plan of baroque city, author Janez Dizma Florjani

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 11

Baroque faades. In this way, Ljubljana both retained its medieval spatial layout and also obtained a distinctly Baroque look. Another noteworthy feature of Ljubljana architecture is that, under the influence of Venetian development, the Baroque movement didnt progress toward luxurious Rococo but rather in the direction of moderate Classicism.

Classicism and Historicism

The end of the 18th century coincided with the Age of Enlightenment, which included, among other things, the rediscovery of antiquity. In terms of architecture, it marked the emergence of Classicism that, unlike the Baroque that originated in the Renaissance, went directly back to Greek antiquity. During the Napoleonic wars against the Austrian monarchy, the French occupied Ljubljana for a short period of time, during which it was called the Illyrian provinces (180913). This period was not terribly significant for architectural development, but had the effect of encouraging the gradual emergence of Slovenian national consciousness. This largely resulted from the fact that under French occupation, the Slovenian language was taught in schools for the first time. For this reason, Napoleon has never been thought of as an oppressive occupier. Indeed, the inhabitants of Ljubljana later erected an obelisk in his honour at the Trg francoske revolucije. The four-year-old Illyrian provinces were the only break in the Habsburg regime, which lasted another 579 years, from 1335 to 1918. Yet after Napoleons retreat, Ljubljana gradually rose from obscurity. In 1821, it hosted the congress of the Holy Alliance, an association of triumphant states striving to maintain the monarchic system. For this occasion, the site of the abandoned Capuchin monastery was converted into Kongresni trg for public events and parades. During this period, a new reorganisation of the city began, directed in accordance with numerous regulations. Biedermeier, a reflection of the simple and comfortable style of the Viennese middle class, prevailed in art and architecture. The simplicity of the style represented not only the aesthetic rejection of the rich decoration of Baroque but also part of a general trend toward economizing and rationalizing projects as dictated by imperial Vienna. In 1848, a railway was built from Vienna to Ljubljana, and in 1857 it was extended south to the port of Trieste. This development spelled the end of Ljubljanas importance as a river port. The train, a symbol of a new era of based on industrialization, triggered the accelerated development of cities and posed new challenges in the field of CMYK architecture. The task was divided between architect and engineer. The latter 10/100/90/0 it with an appropriate designed a frame, and the architect as artist covered faade. Classical architectural elements were gradually joined by Renaissance, Romanesque and Gothic elements, and thus historicism emerged: the practice

knjigarna.com swis721

12 Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

of borrowing and mixing elements from the rich treasury of past architectural styles. During this fertile period, a number of important institutions were built in Ljubljana: the National Museum, the National House, the German Theatre and the Philharmonic Hall, Realka, and the Palace of the Provincial Government.

Fabianis Ljubljana
The 1895 earthquake was a turning point in Ljubljanas development. Help was sent from imperial Vienna to help rebuild the damaged city: Ljubljana received financial support in the form of favourable loans that enabled building development. One of the first to offer his service was the famous urban planner Camillo Sitte, who presented his plan for reconstruction. However, the nationally minded mayor of Ljubljana, Ivan Hribar, preferred Slavic architects. Besides the Croatian architect Josip Vanca, among the Slavic architects that worked in Ljubljana after the earthquake, the most influential was certainly Maks Fabiani, from the Littoral region. During the early years of his career, he worked for Otto Wagner in Secession Vienna. Although Fabianis integral city plan was rejected because municipal authorities supported different urban ideas, some of his suggestions are still relevant today. Fabiani introduced the Viennese Secession style to Ljubljana, especially in the area between the old town and the railway station where he designed a new square in front of the judicial palace. This is the section of Ljubljana that possesses the majority of Secession houses derived from Wagners architectural school. The more decorative Secession style of Josef Maria Olbrich is rarer. During this period of national awakening, when Slovenians were establishing their own institutions parallel to the existing German ones, choice of architectural style became a sign of national conscience. German architects generally chose historicism, while their Slovenian counterparts opted for the more progressive Secession.

Pleniks Capital
When the Habsburg Empire disintegrated after World War I, many new states emerged and Ljubljana found itself a part of Yugoslavia, or what was then known as the Kingdom of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. With this, the long-standing trend toward autonomy was fulfilled. Slavic architects, who had mostly studied with Wagner in Vienna, turned away from their former master, attempting to develop individual national architectural styles. In Slovenia, Ivan Vurnik, who established the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana, was the principal advocate of the national CMYK point of view. 10/100/90/0 invited to be a professor, The classical regionalism of Joe Plenik, whom Vurnik contrasted with Vurniks national romantic architecture. Plenik, along with Olbrich and Josef Hoffmann, was certainly one of the most talented of Otto Wagners

knjigarna.com swis721

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 13

knjigarna.com swis721
CMYK 10/100/90/0
Fabianis plan

14 Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

disciples. Prior to World War I, he designed buildings in Vienna, the most important being the Zacherl House (1905). The Vienna Academy had even proposed Plenik as Wagners successor, but for political reasons (because of his Slovene nationality) the proposal was not approved. In 1911, Plenik moved to Prague where in 1920 he was appointed by President Masaryk to be the architect in charge of the restoration of Hradcany Castle for the needs of the new state. Despite this prestigious position, Plenik was ready to return to his own country to implement his vision of the Slovenian capital. Indeed, because of the legacy he ultimately left the National Library, ale cemetery, the Church of St Francis of Assisi in ika, and the projects along the Ljubljanica to name only his most important architectural interventions the Slovenian capital deserves to be called Pleniks Ljubljana. Ignoring trends in contemporary world architecture, Plenik was guided by his belief in the timelessness of architecture. He wanted his work to speak in the language of classical architectural elements so that everyone could understand it but in an entirely original manner. Thus his architecture was not designed according to classical rules, but incorporated classical architecture. His urban schemes were fragmentary but linked to a wider vision. And despite his great ambition for Ljubljana, he had at his disposal only limited financial resources. To save money for other enrichments of public architecture, he used sand, cement slabs and old stones for paving. An example of this thrift can be found in the seemingly rich regulation of the Three Bridges, where an addition of two pedestrian bridges in artificial stone was a less costly solution than pulling down the old bridge and building a new and wider one. He also made a new parapet on the old bridge.

ubics Cosmopolitan City

Plenik was the undisputed authority of architecture between the two world wars; his style exercised a strong influence over his clients choices. In 1924, the painter Avgust ernigoj returned to Ljubljana from his studies at Bauhaus and discovered that when he exhibited his avant-garde work, nobody was able to understand it. The architects of that era designed buildings that were basically rational, but continued to decorate them with stylised classical elements and figures. One of these architects was Vladimir ubic, who built several large, contemporary hybrid buildings in the style of modern classicism. The most significant among CMYK ubics large urban projects was Nebotinik (Skyscraper), built in 1933 as a 10/100/90/0 the tallest building in the symbol of cosmopolitan Ljubljana. For many years Balkans, Nebotinik nevertheless wore the crown of a diminished classical rotunda undoubtedly derived from the Plenik school. Although Pleniks authority for a time

knjigarna.com swis721

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 15

prevented radically new ideas from developing within the cultural environment of the city, the influences of modern architecture could not be avoided indefinitely. A younger generation of architects who studied under Professor Peter Behrens in Vienna, and even some of Pleniks students, began to think according to the new principles and to build in a new style. Yet even Villa Oblak by the architect France Tomai (1933) or the Little Skyscraper by the architect Herman Hus (1931) are not purely functionalist creations; they reveal the lingering restraint of the Plenik school.

Ravnikars School
Circumstances, particularly political circumstances, changed after World War II, and architecture acquired a representative role in the emerging socialism. Architects of the day turned to their advantage Titos rejection of socialist realism in architecture. Even with an edifice as important as the Parliament building (1959) by the architect Vinko Glanz, the monumental quality of new buildings still stemmed more from Pleniks tradition than from Soviet influences. Architecture continued to develop in the direction of functionalism even after the war. Two beautiful examples of this trend are the Republic Government Building (1949) by the architect Stanko Rohrman and the ambitious Convention Center (1958) by a group of architects supervised by Branko Simi. But the most significant contributions are certainly those of Edvard Ravnikar, who after receiving his degree with Plenik continued his studies with Le Corbusier in Paris. In 1946, he became a professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana. Ravnikar consistently observed trends in international contemporary architectural development and incorporated them. At the same time, he kept in mind the particularities of the Slovenian architectural tradition. He retained in his own unique way some of the essential principles and values of Plenik, especially with regard to his visual sensitivity and respect for space. Ravnikar was also influenced by Scandinavian architecture. As a result of this approach the synthesis of heterogeneous styles the so-called Ljubljana architectural school emerged and was pursued by a generation of Ravnikar students: Savin Sever, Stanko Kristl, Milan Miheli, and others. After World War II, Ravnikar absorbed theories of functional urbanism and took up the work of designing residential CMYK neighbourhoods with all their accompanying services within the modern city. In Ljubljana, residential neighbourhoods were 10/100/90/0 mostly being built on the outskirts according to various urban planning schemes and various typologies: for example, atrium and row houses, prefabricated blocks of flats, high-rise apartment buildings, and skyscrapers. In this context, we should

knjigarna.com swis721

16 Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

mention the architects Danilo Frst and Ilija Arnavtovi as well as the urban planners Mitja Jernejc, Marjan Bean, Vladimir Braco Mui, among others. In the 1960s, development focused on flexible apartment units and original solutions for rational ground plans. Contrary to the notion of a new and uniform socialist city, the successive building of neighbourhoods by the winners of open architectural competitions offered constant opportunities for testing different perspectives on residential architecture as well as for introducing various constructive technologies. This methodology lasted until the end of the 1980s.

Post-Modern Architecture and Back Again

Student riots in 1968 put a halt to post-war development all over Europe. Sociological and philosophical issues came to the fore in the field of architecture as well. For a short period of time, this caused a general decline in the architectural profession, which was accused of rigidity and self-absorption. Only in the 1970s did the profession begin to return to its origins. Post-modern architecture emerged, reintroducing architectural typology and renewing the narrative quality of classical architectural elements, even referring to features of place, to genius loci. This was also the time when the foreign professional public began to discover the tradition of Joe Plenik. Indeed, Plenik was increasingly seen as the father of post-modern architecture. More important perhaps, were the increasing number of international contacts, usually made because of frequent pilgrimages to Pleniks Ljubljana. Foreign architects searched for traces of Pleniks heritage in contemporary Slovenian architecture, generally taking special note of the business-residential building on Poljanska Street (1988) by the architect Janez Koelj. Of course, post-modern architecture turned out to be just another passing movement and was followed by an even shorter episode called deconstructivism. Slowly, European architecture returned to the traditions of modernist architecture that had been interrupted in 1968. In contemporary Slovenian architecture, this meant a revived interest in the Ravnikar school. In Ljubljana, this can be observed particularly in the works of Jurij Kobe for example, in the Medical High School on Poljanska Street (1998).

A Pluralist City

In 1991, the new Slovenian state was born and the old (socialist) political system was replaced by the new (capitalist). CMYK architecture had principally been Before that, the occupation of the state. In the new era, it ran up against the capitalist economy 10/100/90/0 and the logic of a market that rewards short-term impact and profitability. The state no longer holds architectural competitions where the best solution wins; rather, public offers are distributed on the basis of the cheapest bids. Perhaps, however,
Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 17

knjigarna.com swis721

Birds eye view of modern Ljubljana

the new condition that most surprised city authorities was Ljubljanas role as the capital of a nation for the first time in its history. It took some time to realize that the city could survive only with fresh investment. Since this required positive economic conditions and a well-regulated infrastructure facilitating the flow of funds into construction, the development of the city shifted to the periphery. On the up side, new era architecture was able to benefit from international technology that was not available before. For the new generation of architects, integration in Europe meant no limits on the information or knowledge that could be obtained from foreign universities. Ten years after the great change, a new generation formed in this altered environment is emerging. They understand the demands of capital and know how to create buildings that have a quick impact on the city. They also understand the importance of the media through which they address the global public. Besides Pleniks works, no building in Ljubljana has ever received such excellent global feedback as the building of the Chamber of Commerce, designed by the Sadar & CMYK Vuga Architectural group. If the Ravnikar school sought its specific expression within 10/100/90/0 general architectural development, the young generation looks even farther outward as it tries to play a role in global architectural trends.

knjigarna.com swis721

18 Architectural Guide to Ljubljana

Selected

107

Buildings

knjigarna.com swis721
CMYK 10/100/90/0

knjigarna.com swis721
CMYK 10/100/90/0

Ljubljana Castle (Ljubljanski grad) 12th century Grajska planota 1

Ljubljana Castle

The castle situated on the hill above Ljubljana was once at the center of the property controlled by the noble Spanheim family of Carinthian dukes. Between 1220 and 1243, the Duke of Carinthia more closely connected the castle fortress to Ljubljana by linking it to the citys already existing walls. When Ljubljana became the seat of the province of Carniola in the 14th century, the castle functioned as the headquarters of the provincial lords as well as a temporary residence for the Habsburg Emperor. In the 15th century, it was inhabited by the governor-general of the province and a military garrison. During the period of Turkish raids on Ljubljana, it became necessary to fortify the castle once again. Peripheral walls with corner towers were added to the residential premises, as well as the gothic chapel of Saint George complete with the coat-of-arms of the Carniolan provincial governors. In the 16th century, city ramparts linked to the castle by a high-ridged avenue were constructed and called ance. In the 17th century, the governor-general moved down to the city and the Ljubljana Castle was Information converted to a provincial jail, marking the CMYK beginning of its decline. From this time on, the Open summer every day from 9 AM11 PM, winter every castle premises were frequently pulled down 10/100/90/0 01day from 10 AM9 PM Telephone 232 99 94 and rebuilt. Throughout the 19th century, it Fax 01 232 99 94 continued to serve as a jail for criminals from E-mail virtualni.muzej@ljfestival.si Carniola and Carinthia. In 1845/48, the wooden Entrance fee gazebo was replaced by a stone clock tower. In Possibility of a guided visit by appointment

knjigarna.com swis721

1905, the city bought the castle from the imperial state, but it continued to be inhabited by either prisoners or the poor until the 1960s. During the 1930s, only one of the architect Joe Pleniks bold ideas about the Slovenian metropolis specifically concerning Castle Hill was realized: ance and the tree-lined avenue that connects it to the castle were restored. In the 1940s, the city began the reconstruction of the castle according to plans drawn up by the municipal architect, Boris Kobe, who continued in Pleniks footsteps. Since the 1970s, Ljubljana Castle has been gradually restored and fundamentally redesigned according to the plans of the architects Edo Ravnikar, Jr. and Majda Kregar to serve as a venue for cultural performances, weddings, and outdoor and catered events. The two architects, selected after an open architectural competition, made the appearance of the castle in the cityscape more prominent by removing accumulated debris from around the lower castle walls and constructing steeper roofs and a higher belvedere tower. Service facilities were situated beneath the central castle courtyard while the lapidarium was excavated. In addition to providing new access, they created a walkway along the periphery of the former fortress wall that links the renovated castle buildings and the towers. One of the architects principal goals was to make use of demanding technological innovations (such as digging deeper than the foundations and lifting the old walls on steel pillars) to reveal the historical layers within this important city monument.

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 21

knjigarna.com swis721
CMYK 10/100/90/0

Bishops Hall (kofijski dvorec) 1512 Architect: Avgutin Prygl - Tyfernus Ciril-Metodov trg 4

Bishops Hall
although with less outstanding decoration. Bishops Hall was built by Bishop Kritof After the 1895 earthquake, the architect Ravbar after the 1511 earthquake. It was constructed on the ruins of its predecessor, Raimond Jeblinger restored the mansions chapel in neo-Romanesque style. Bishops which dated from 1461. The new mansion Hall, once the most distinguished building was designed by one of Carniolias most erudite and knowledgeable men, Avgutin in the city, has housed four emperors: Austrian Emperors Leopold I in 1660 and Prygl-Tyfernus. He also supervised the construction of the building. Bishops Hall, Karl IV in 1728, French emperor Napoleon in 1797, and the Russian Czar Alexander linked by a narrow covered arcade to the I in 1821. A tablet in the entrance hall nearby Saint James Cathedral, has been designed by Joe Plenik marks frequently reconstructed ever since: In Napoleons visit. the 17th century, it was heightened and a Baroque arcaded courtyard was added, Information and in the 18th century, a southern wing was added. During the restoration in 1778, Open Monday to Friday from 8 AM3.30 PM, Telephone 01 234 26 00 CMYK the architect Leopold Hofer decorated the Fax 01 231 41 69 great assembly hall with Rococo stucco E-mail nadskofija.ljubljana@rkc.si 10/100/90/0 fee and redid the faade of the mansion, No entrance

knjigarna.com swis721

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 23

knjigarna.com swis721
CMYK 10/100/90/0

Fuine Castle (Grad Fuine) 15281557 Pot na Fuine 2 20 (Fuine) K5

Fuine Castle
are partially preserved, and there is a Fuine Castle was built by the Ljubljana tradesmen Veit Khisl and Hans Weilhaimer. right corner staircase in the courtyard that has a particularly interesting design. At the time of its construction, it was The remnants of late 16th century wall located well outside Ljubljana. As its name indicates (fuine means smelter), paintings can still be discerned in the the castle had an important economic chapel and some other rooms. In 1992, the significance. As the castle was situated castle was thoroughly restored to serve near the Ljubljanica River, it was originally as the Ljubljana Museum of Architecture intended that a glassworks and paper according to the plans of the architect mill would be located on the premises. Peter Gabrijeli. There is a permanent Although it has been rebuilt several times, exhibition of the architect Joe Pleniks Fuine Castle is the only Renaissance work and the castle is preparing a castle preserved in Ljubljana. Typical permanent exhibition on the development of Renaissance design, which stressed of architecture in Slovenia. geometry and composition, the castle was designed according to a geometrical Information ground plan composed of a double Open (Museum) Monday to Friday from square. Fortified towers are located at CMYK 9 AM3 PM, during exhibitions Monday to Saturday from 11 AM6 PM, Sunday from the corners of the building, with a fifth 10/100/90/0 PM 11 AM2 tower rising above the entrance. At the Telephone 01 540 97 98 time of its construction, Fuine Castle Fax 01 540 03 44 had a moat, though today only a stone E-mail aml@aml.si bridge remains. The courtyard arcades Entrance fee

knjigarna.com swis721

Architectural Guide to Ljubljana 25