When wandering round Ljubljana, you’ll discover some fascinating buildings designed by well-known Slovene architect Jože Plečnik. He reshaped the Slovenian capital, constructed many lovely buildings and made city designs for town, making Ljubljana one of many prettiest European capitals. It’s with no shock Plečnik’s masterpieces in Ljubljana acquired to the UNESCO heritage record in 2021. Learn this text to study extra about Jože Plečnik and his structure in Ljubljana.
Jože Plečnik and his Structure in Ljubljana
Throughout my current journey to Ljubljana, I aimed to study extra about one of the well-known Slovene architects, Jože Plečnik. 2022 was celebrated because the 12 months of Plečnik, so many museums in Ljubljana organised particular exhibitions about him. The brand new researches have been carried out, particular excursions organised, and interpretations of his work revealed. I met with among the researchers and curators who labored on exhibitions about his work. It was so fascinating to study his character and dedication to work. And to really feel his presence at his former house that also appears to be like because it did when he lived there.
Plečnik remains to be a little bit of a mystical determine. Somebody who was a genius but in addition a workaholic. He was a fantastic college professor but in addition a tyrant within the quantity of labor he was asking from his college students. A considerate good friend but in addition a loner.
Nonetheless, his work speaks for itself. On July thirty first 2021, Jože Plečnik’s work in Ljubljana was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Listing and acquired new recognition that approach.
⤷ Learn extra: What to see & do in Ljubljana
Who was Jože Plečnik
However, who was Jože Plečnik?
Jože Plečnik was born and raised in Ljubljana. His father was a carpenter, so the plan for younger Jože was to comply with in his father’s footsteps. He continued his schooling in Graz, learning inside design and inventive carpentry. After that, he went to Vienna, the place he studied structure in a category of one of the well-known architects of that point, Otto Wagner.
When ending college, he was awarded the Rome scholarship. It led him to the seven-month journey to Italy and France, the place he visited Rome, Florence, Venice and Paris. The structure he noticed there considerably influenced his later work. Though his early buildings could possibly be categorised as part of the Artwork Nouveau motion, he was strongly influenced by classical artwork and structure. So, in his later work, he was way more of a classicist who developed his distinctive model.
Plečnik’s focus was at all times on public area. We might contemplate him an city designer much more than an architect. He integrated nature into his city designs in a approach that makes them an instance of the human-centred public area.
After dwelling and dealing in Vienna and Prague, in 1921, when he was nearly fifty, he moved again to Ljubljana, the place he grew to become an structure professor on the newly established College of Ljubljana.
⤷ Learn extra: Uncover the very best museums in Ljubljana
10 Masterpieces by Jože Plečnik you shouldn’t miss in Ljubljana
When Plečnik moved again to his house city and began instructing on the College of Ljubljana, he additionally began city planning for rebuilding town. And he was terribly imaginative in doing that. He remodeled a small provincial city into the nation’s capital in only some a long time.
His city designs are in all probability much more fascinating than Plečnik’s structure in Ljubljana. He had a selected expertise for city design, and they’re among the many most fascinating Plečnik’s cultural heritage in Ljubljana. He wasn’t doing that with structure solely but in addition with timber and nature. Plečnik additionally liked reusing older structure or elements of different buildings. In that sense, he was fairly fashionable, and we contemplate him one of many first sustainable architects.
In the event you’d wish to study extra about him, listed below are ten masterpieces by Jože Plečnik you shouldn’t miss in Ljubljana.
1 – Plečnik’s Home
Deal with: 4 – 6 Karunova Avenue, Ljubljana
When he moved to Ljubljana in 1921, Jože Plečnik redesigned the home his brother had purchased a number of years earlier than. The thought was to create a household house for himself, his sister and his brothers. Nonetheless, ultimately, solely Jože Plečnik lived in it. The home has fairly a singular design, with the central cylindric-shaped edifice creating a big round-shaped room on every flooring. He additionally designed the furnishings inside the home.
The home is become a museum in the present day with an inside that appears because it did when Plečnik lived in it. It’s fairly fascinating to see its design. For instance, his workplace was additionally a bed room, displaying his dedication to work. It was additionally fascinating to see the chair within the kitchen for studying the morning newspaper and consuming espresso. Plečnik designed a home that was extra of a hybrid between the monk cell and an workplace than a house.
⤷ TIP: Plečnik Home may be visited solely in the course of the organised guided tour. They’re scheduled each hour between 10 am and 5 pm and might accommodate a most of seven individuals. Reserve your spot upfront if you happen to go to it in the course of the excessive season.
2 – Triple Bridge
Deal with: Adamič-Lundrovo nabrežje 1, Ljubljana
The Triple Bridge (Tromostovlje in Slovenian) exemplifies Plečnik’s approach of reusing older structure in his work. On the finish of the Twenties, it grew to become obvious that the previous bridge constructed by Giovanni Picco in 1842 wasn’t ample sufficient for the rising metropolis. So, they employed Jože Plečnik to assemble the brand new bridge. Nonetheless, he determined to make use of the prevailing one and add two smaller pedestrian bridges on its sides. To unify them, he designed the identical balustrade on all these bridges.
The 2 further bridges are separate from the central one. Plečnik constructed them in a form of a funnel, making an emphasised method to Prešern Sq..
3 – Nationwide and College Library in Ljubljana
Deal with: Turjaška ulica 1, Ljubljana
One of the vital fascinating buildings designed by Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana is the Nationwide and College Library. He constructed it as a logo of studying and information. Impressed by the Italian Renaissance palaces, the constructing has intriguing symbolism. Plečnik used among the previous stones from the constructing that stood as a replacement earlier than and even some from Ljubljana’s predecessor, the Roman city of Emona. In its inside, the darkish monumental staircase leads into the sunshine studying room, symbolising the enlightening with information.
4 – Ljubljana Central Market
Deal with: Adamič-Lundrovo nabrežje 6, Ljubljana
The Central Market, designed by Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana, is likely one of the most lovely markets I’ve ever seen. It’s situated subsequent to the Ljubljanica River and has an open and closed space. It spans ample area between the Triple Bridge and Dragon Bridge. Once more impressed by classical structure, the primary constructing situated on the embankment of the Ljubljanica River exhibits the Venetian Renaissance affect.
⤷ TIP: The market is open every day and is a superb place to buy glorious native meals and produce.
5 – Embankments on Ljubljanica River
Deal with: Alongside Ljubljanica River
Though his unique concept was to shut the river fully, afterward, Plečnik determined to create embankments and bridges and management the river that approach. He bolstered the river banks with stone and created small stone terraces subsequent to them. In his vogue of making city design with nature, he planted weeping willows alongside the river, making a brand new inexperienced promenade by way of town centre.
To manage the river’s water degree, Plečnik additionally constructed a sluice gate with an ornamentation impressed by Egyptian, Greek and Etruscan artwork.
6 – Vegova Avenue
Deal with: Vegova ulica, Ljubljana
Created between 1929 and 1937, Jože Plečnik designed Vegova Avenue as a form of cultural promenade within the metropolis centre of Ljubljana. He made an city space consisting of timber and architectural components between the Nationwide and College Library and Congress Sq.. He used the previous medieval moats stays because the elevation for the benches. And alongside the road, he positioned many columns with busts of well-known musicians and linguists.
7 – Žale Cemetery
Deal with: Na Žalah 5, Ljubljana
After I first noticed a mannequin of the Žale Cemetery designed by Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana, it jogged my memory of the Greek Acropolis. Through the Nineteen Forties, he designed a number of funeral chapels for the brand new municipal Ljubljana cemetery, every impressed by a unique classical structure. The doorway to the graveyard is thru the monumental arch with an enormous colonnade that symbolically marks the border between the world of dwelling and useless.
⤷ TIP: Every first Saturday of the month (March to October) at 10 am a guided tour of Plečnik’s structure at Žale Cemetery is organised. For more information and to guide the tour, contact Go to Ljubljana by way of this hyperlink.
8 – Cobbler’s Bridge
Deal with: Šuštarski most, Ljubljana
As you’ll be able to already discover, Jože Plečnik designed a number of bridges in Ljubljana. One of the vital elegant amongst them is the Cobbler’s Bridge. Constructed between 1931 and 1932, it’s house to one among Plečnik’s favorite architectural components – a pilar. He used two kinds of columns to brighten the bridge – Corinthian and Ionian. The result’s a sublime bridge resembling the classical sq. on the water.
9 – Congress Sq. in Ljubljana
Deal with: Kongresni trg, Ljubljana
Plečnik was a proficient city designer, which is very seen in how he designed public areas. Congress Sq. in Ljubljana was constructed on the previous moat operating subsequent to the previous Roman and medieval fortifications. Whereas reshaping it into a contemporary city space, he used concrete to create a geometrical raster. He used the road of lamps to attach the 2 most vital buildings on the sq., the Ursuline Church and the Slovenian Philharmonic constructing. With all this work, Plečnik created an open habitable area for the residents of Ljubljana to socialize, loosen up and revel in.
10 – Trnovo Bridge
Deal with: Karunova ulica 1, Ljubljana
Constructed only a stone throw away from his home, Trnovo Bridge was constructed between 1929 and 1931. It was part of Plečnik’s Gradaščica channel embankment undertaking. It’s additionally situated in entrance of the Trnovo Church, so in its design, Plečnik repeated among the architectural components from the church, just like the pyramids.
The bridge can be fascinating as a result of Plečnik planted timber on it, once more creating an ideal symbiosis between nature and structure.
⤷ Learn extra: Ljubljana LUV Fest – Celebrating Love, Artwork & Wandering in Ljubljana
Exhibitions about Plečnik in Ljubljana in 2023
In the event you’d wish to study extra about Jože Plečnik’s structure in Ljubljana, then it is best to go to among the particular exhibitions organised about his work in among the Ljubljana museums.
UNIVERSUM PLEČNIK: Between Workshop and Fantasy
Museum of structure and design / Open till Could twenty first 2023
The exhibition on the Museum of structure and design explores Jože Plečnik’s legacy and a few subjects that haven’t gotten deserved consideration but.
Plečnik: The Metropolis, Place, Backyard
Metropolis Museum of Ljubljana / Open till August twenty seventh 2023
On the exhibition, you’ll be able to see a few of Plečnik’s architectural drawings for tasks that have been and weren’t made ultimately, his notes, sketches, fashions and statues, a few of that are offered to most of the people for the primary time.
Plečnik’s Lectarija
Slovene Ethnographic Museum / Everlasting exhibition
Lectarija was a small arts and crafts store that opened on Ljubljana’s Congress Sq. in 1940. The inside design was created by Jože Plečnik. You may see what it seemed like and what merchandise have been offered at this exhibition.
Plečnik Home Exhibitions
Plečnik Home / Everlasting & short-term exhibitions
Plečnik Home is the primary cease for anybody keen on studying about Jože Plečnik structure in Ljubljana. In addition to its short-term exhibition, they commonly host particular exhibits that will help you perceive this fascinating architect.
Jože Plečnik’s structure in Ljubljana is certainly one thing to discover whereas visiting that metropolis. From his city design and buildings within the city to some incredible exhibitions about him, I’m positive you’ll take pleasure in exploring Jože Plečnik’s heritage in Ljubljana.
I visited Ljubljana and Jože Plečnik structure in Ljubljana in the course of the press journey organised by Ljubljana Tourism. Many because of them and their companions for organising such a beautiful journey for me. Nonetheless, as at all times, all opinions are my very own.
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