Architecture in Slovenia—Who designed Ljubljana?
Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital is a gem to be reckoned with. Mountain peaks, flowing rivers, and forests are spread throughout this beautiful country. Even better, you can experience a part of this in the city. Another fantastic thing about the city? The stunning architecture. And we have Jože Plečnik to thank for that. You may be wondering how nature and architecture could be comparable. With a nature-conscious design, the two can coexist and it makes for a beautiful combination.
Jože Plečnik was a Slovene architect whose work had a major impact on the architectural scene in Slovenia. His work wasn’t only prominent in his country but around neighboring countries too.
So, who was he really?
Brief History on Jože Plečnik
Plečnik was born in Slovenia and was the third child of four siblings. He had an older brother, an older sister, and a younger brother. His mother was a housewife and his father was a carpenter. Looking into the early childhood of Jože Plečnik, it states that he wasn’t the brightest amongst his siblings. As we explore what he further got to do and accomplish, it’s surprising how this would even be factual. But life and people, have an interesting way of evolving and it’s really inspiring.
Plečnik’s older brother became a priest, his older sister studied and trained to be a nun and his younger brother became a doctor. Given the time he was born and raised, (the late 19th century) it showed how progressive his family was and how much they valued education. Plečnik went on to work with his father and this job as a furniture manufacturer would mark the beginning of an adventurous career.
Early work of Jože Plečnik
While working in his father’s carpentry shop, Jože Plečnik stood out for his introspective concentration and practical presence. He later got a scholarship to study in a carpentry school in Graz. After studying there, he acquired higher education certification in furniture making and design. Jože then began working in a Viennese office and he had a lot of interest in drawing and painting. For a furniture designer, these were tremendous skills to have. Eventually, this brought him to explore Mannerism, Baroque and Rococo decorativeness in this work.
Plečnik was influenced by Otto Wagner and after meeting him, he started working for him in 1894. He later went on to study further in Wagner’s class where he graduated as the best student. Not long after, he won a prize that enabled him to travel to Italy and France. While there, he sent many photographs to his family. Some of which can be seen today, in Plečnik House.
More on that later.
While working in Vienna, he designed the Roßauer Lände and Schottenring station buildings of the Vienna city railway . Shortly after, he moved back to Ljubljana to work independently. Upon his return, he worked as a freelancer, designing private homes, churches, and commercial buildings.
Plečnik not only worked as a designer but also began working as a professor. He worked in the school of applied arts in Prague and still designed many buildings, furniture, and decorative objects. In 1920, he was invited to work on the renovation of the Prague Castle. This was arguably one of the highlights of his career.
Just a thought
For someone who was said to be lazy, he was a very dedicated and hard working man.
Plečnik’s work in Lubljana
From 1920 onwards, he began working as a professor at the University of Ljubljana. Jože wasn’t only passionate about design, but teaching as well. He was an exceptional creator and designed some of Ljubljana’s notable sights which are:
- Bežigrad Stadium (1923–1939)
- Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (1925–1927)
- Headquarters of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (1925-1927)
- Catholic Insurance Company Bank (1928–1930)
- Triple Bridge (1929–1932)
- Slovenian National and University Library (1936–1941)
- Shoemakers Bridge (1931–1932)
- Fish Market (1939–1942)
- Ursuline High School (1939–1940)
Interesting Fact
Seven buildings and bridges of his work in Ljubljana are World Heritage sites.
Jože didn’t only have an influence on Architecture in Ljubljana but in other parts of Europe too. Namely; Langer House, House of Zacher, Szent Karoly- Borromeo fountain, and Church of the Holy Spirit in Vienna. Additionally in Prague, he worked on the Prague Castle, Church of the Sacred Herat, and Lany Castle.
You may wonder if he had time for anything else in his life. Simply put, he didn’t really. One of his few female friends proposed marriage to him. However, he declined this offer. Saying that he was already married to architecture.
Plečnik House
There’s no better way to get a deeper life into the life of Jože Plečnik than by visiting Plečnik house. It’s one of the beautiful pieces of architecture that he designed. It’s even more special because this is where he lived and worked. Today, his house is a museum. It’s open to the public to visit with a group tour for about 8 euros per individual.
Location: 6, Karunova ulica 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Open Hours: 10 AM-6 PM ( Open every day except Monday)
Plečnik house is a two-part museum with an exhibition area and his private home. Guests can visit the exhibition area independently. In contrast, you need a guide to visit the part of the museum that was his home. The tour lasts around 40 minutes and so one hour and a half are enough for a thorough visit to the museum.
Foyer
The first room of his house is the foyer. It’s the perfect blend of indoor and outdoor space. A great reminder of architecture in Ljubljana because it feels very modern, natural, and light. The room has glass walls that look out to the garden. Additionally, indoor plants are placed around this room with a waiting area for guests. There are steps that lead up to the entrance and this was an intentional move to separate himself from guests he wasn’t very familiar with.
This shows how much Plečnik valued his personal space.
Kitchen
The next room from here is his kitchen. It’s got a very minimalistic design approach. White walls, wood, and natural stone are the centerpieces here. He designed the kitchen sink for a different project but when that didn’t pull through, he kept the sink. Showing how sustainable and unwasteful he was. The sink is shaped like a fish and it’s interesting to see religious characteristics in this design. Equally important are the pieces of furniture that were actually prototypes. Interestingly, what they had in common, is that they weren’t designed for comfort.
Bedroom
His bedroom was probably his sacred haven as it was his living space. With a wooden beam, his room is separated into two parts. One side has his bed, bookshelf, and reading lamp, while the other has a large table where he worked. This room faces his large garden and it was crucial for him to have this. Nature played a huge role in his design and so he needed to feel part of it to do it.
Additionally, his room has paintings he received from friends and some of his clothing is there today too. A pair of shoes, a black coat, his walking stick, and his hat, sit in his room today. These pieces were also major fashion pieces of his and they were part of his look. His working desk has a doggie toy that belonged to his pet who was one of his few loves. The others were coffee and cigarettes.
Another interesting thing is that growing up, he allegedly wasn’t good at languages but as an adult, he spoke several. This enriched him as he could read and conversate with different people throughout Europe.
Meeting Room
Plečnik had a meeting room for guests he invited into his home. This didn’t happen very often and he mostly had two guests at a time. The most interesting feature in this room is a furnace which also serves as a water boiler. It had a tap to draw out the water and without any extra help, he would make tea or coffee for his guests.
Studio
While his brother lived with him, this served as a bedroom. However, that didn’t go on for very long due to their different lifestyles. Plečnik liked to work in silence while his brother loved to entertain guests. Once his brother had moved out, he turned this room, which is identical to his bedroom, into a studio. Here, he did the majority of his work.
The winter garden
This room is truly a statement piece to his home. It was one of the first winter gardens designed at that time. This room hosted many guests and some of his students that he invited to work with him. He believed in hard work and didn’t want them to be idle during school breaks. The door leading to the garden is shorter than most doors. This too was intentional. He wanted to bow down to nature because he paid so much respect to it.
Conclusion
The life of Jože Plečnik is interesting because it’s a story of dedication and passion. He was extremely invested in what he did and always worked on his craft. He lived a seemingly fulfilled life—full of love for what he did and he reaped the rewards of his efforts.
It’s no doubt that he shaped Ljubljana and he is in fact, The Architect of Lubljana.
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