A confluence of style: the architecture and urbanism of Ljubljana

Slovenia has a fascinating geographical location that has historically placed the country at a crossroads between the cultures and empires of years gone by. Through its borders with Italy and Austria, Slovenia holds political and cultural connections to Western Europe. But through Hungary, Croatia and the wider Balkan region it is influenced by Eastern European culture. Placed in the centre of a country experiencing a confluence of politics, culture and design, Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana has a rich mix of architecture and urban planning.

The Habsburg monarchy and historicism

The control of Ljubljana has shifted numerous times in its history. For centuries, the city was part of the historical region of Carniola in the Hapsburg monarchy. Encompassing areas of modern day Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Czechia and other central European nations, the Habsburg monarchy brought many historicist architectural styles to Slovenia. In instances this involved redesigning features to fit the intended aesthetic, with one example being Ljubljana castle, located in the centre of the city. Built in its earliest iteration in the 11th century, the castle was completely demolished and rebuilt in the 15^th century when under Habsburg rule.

Photos (left to right) : Exterior of Ljubljana Castle (Author’s own), Interior Courtyard of Ljubljana Castle (Author’s own)

It was through the Habsburg connection that architectural styles including Baroque made its way to Slovenia but less so to its neighbouring Balkan countries outside of Habsburg rule. Perhaps the best example of this are the Cathedral of St Nicholas and the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation. Inspired and influenced by the Catholic Church, the Baroque style is seen in all its splendour with these two structures.

Photos (left to right) : Cathedral of St Nicholas (Author’s own), Franciscan Church of the Annunciation (Author’s own)

The façade of the Franciscan Church of the Annunciation is a magnificent red adorned with historicist callbacks including pilasters and volutes. Presiding over Preseren Square in the heart of the city, this Baroque structure embodies the classical architecture and styles that Slovenia was introduced to by the Habsburg monarchy.

Influence of Jose Plecnik:

While the Habsburg rule over Slovenia introduced styles seen widely across Western Europe, arguably the biggest impact on Ljubljana was that of Jose Plecnik.

An architect and urban designer by trade, Plecnik is responsible for numerous public spaces, buildings and layouts across Slovenia and Austria – reaffirming the connections between Slovenia and its Germanic neighbour. It is rare to find a single person so influential over a city’s design, but wandering around the centre of Ljubljana is almost like walking around a gallery devoted to his greatest work. The centrepiece of his contributions is the Triple Bridge (1929 renovation) which was ahead of its time in providing a multi-modal crossing for users of the space. A wide road bridge is flanked by two narrower pedestrian bridges with the intentions being to provide ample space for road users and pedestrians simultaneously using the crossing. Since 2007, as part of the pedestrianisation of Ljubljana’s centre, all three bridges are now solely for pedestrians and bikes.

Photo: Triple Bridge (Nea Culpa, source Ljubljana Tourism)

Plecnik was a visionary in the sense he was focused not on individual units, but more the holistic experience of people using and visiting the city centre. The transformation of the Ljubljanica riverside, with the Triple Bridge at the heart of that, created an accessible and pleasant environment. He incorporated a large number of trees and terraced seating along the river banks. As someone who traversed the city on foot, Plecnik sought to create what urbanists now term ‘green corridors’. Just under a century from his creations, the vision is still present – if not exemplified by successive policies and visions built upon the foundations he laid.

Photos (Left to right): Terraced Seating (Mipim), Tree-lined riverside street (Author’s own)

Influence of Yugoslavia:

The peak of Plecnik’s influence came in the late 1920s and 1930s, but the fallout of WWII paired with his older age slowly brought an end to Plecnik’s contributions to Ljubljana. While the Kingdom of Yugoslavia dates back to 1929, it was not until the 1945 when under leadership of Josip Broz Tito that the region became the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Slovenia being a constituent nation of the SFRY). Despite its affiliation to the Eastern Bloc up until 1948, Yugoslavia began to distance itself from the Soviet Union and was the only socialist state not behind the ‘Iron Curtain’. As such, from an architectural perspective Yugoslavia ascertained influences from both Soviet and Western culture.

Architectural styles that bridged the West and the East were Modernism and Brutalism. Resonating with utilitarianism and modernity, the styles was notably famous within the UK postwar reconstruction scene. The two styles are very similar, with Brutalism being a more concentrated descendant of Modernism but both exemplify a passion for functional design, a lack of ornamentation and a rational approach to materials and formation. Towards the end of the 1950s, Brutalism and Modernism had made its way to Yugoslavia via the way of international architectural congress events. The styles took off massively in Yugoslavia as it allowed for the Eastern socialist ideals to be paired with a design style gaining fame in Western countries. This cultural confluence mirrors the geographical confluence of Slovenia where it is poised between multiple environments and ideals.

Photos : Republic Square (Author’s own)

While modern day Serbia was the beating heart of Yugoslavia, Slovenia adopted Modernism and Brutalism as pioneering styles. Perhaps the best evidence of this is Republic Square in Ljubljana. The open square is bounded by National Assembly Building and Cankar Hall which tower above the concrete expanse below. Today, this space is hugely popular in Ljubljana for outdoor art installations and skateboarding, but in its creation it was the home for the Slovenian parliament and a symbol of the country.

Modern day:

Ljubljana is well preserved and so if you visit the city in the 21st century you can easily discover signs of Brutalism, Jose Plecnik or historicist architecture. From the pedestrianised and historical city centre to the more modernist outer reaches of the city – the capital of Slovenia is a homage to centuries of being on a confluence of geography, culture and politics.