Ljubljana is the most provincial of European capitals. Small, out of the way, a traditional thoroughfare, from Roman times onwards, for those travelling to grander, more storied places: Venice to the west, Vienna to the north, Budapest to the east, the beautiful Croatian coastline to the south. But it should not be overlooked. There’s a reason Slovenia’s capital and largest city translates as ‘the beloved’. Provincial it may be, but Ljubljana is anything but a cultural backwater. It is one of the most characterful cities on the continent – a perfectly preserved palimpsest of European architectural history ringed with forests, lakes and mountains.
The city dates back to the 1st century AD. It was then a Roman outpost named Emona, and remnants of Roman walls and churches are still visible. In the Middle Ages, its position as a crossroads between competing dynasties saw it sacked, occupied and largely destroyed by warring foreign rulers. There were also catastrophic earthquakes in the region in 1511 and 1895 that effectively razed much of the medieval city to the ground. But, as it rebuilt itself on both occasions, it did so in the midst of history-defining eras for art and architecture. Now it is full of baroque and Renaissance-era buildings with later additions during the Secessionist and art nouveau period.
One man was particularly influential in this latter period. Architect Jože Plecnik was born in Ljubljana and, after an education in Graz and Vienna and a decade renovating Prague Castle, returned home to Ljubljana in 1921. Beyond Slovenia, he was barely known. His lack of a signature style all but disqualified him from mainstream European architectural discourse of the time, and he remained an obscure figure until some years after his death in 1957. Yet few architects anywhere in the world have had such a great impact, or made such a lasting impression, on the city of their birth.
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Wallpaper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the October 2019 edition of Wallpaper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A Kind of Magic
Demna's breathtaking couture collection takes centre stage at Balenciaga's newly renovated couture salons in Paris
Building Site
Sun Tower, China, by Open Architecture
Circular Approach
Repurpose clothing initiative, by Oliver Spencer
CITY
Seoul's unique mix of culture, art and style goes global, thanks to an unstoppable new wave of dynamic creatives
RESTORATION KINGS
Laplace for Hauser & Wirth Paris
CARDBOARD CUTOUTS
'Box' furniture, by Max Lamb, for Gallery Fumi
URBAN BOLTHOLE
Pacaembu House, Brazil, by Arthur Casas
SURREALIST DREAMS
Weird and wonderful works to wake up to
CROWNING GLORY
15-step scalp treatment, by Eco Jardin by Park Jun
WEARABLE ART
Jewellery collection, by Lynda Benglis, for Loewe