3.12.2024
On France Prešeren’s birthday, December 3rd, cultural institutions across Slovenia will open their doors. Museums, galleries, theatres, and other cultural venues will host free exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, performances, and other events. At Open House Slovenia we are also joining the celebration. In honour of the 130th anniversary of architect Vladimir Šubic’s birth, we will organise a tour of his most iconic and significant work, the Ljubljana Skyscraper (Nebotičnik).
We invite you to join the tour, which will take place on Tuesday, December 3rd, at 16.30. The tour will be led in Slovenian by art historian Gojko Zupan. Bookings will open on November 25th via the link.
The Skyscraper (Nebotičnik), built in 1933, is a symbol of modernisation and the bold spirit of pre-war Ljubljana. Designed by architect Vladimir Šubic, commissioned by the Pension Fund and constructed by builder Ivan Bricelj, it stood 70 meters tall, making it the tallest building in Central Europe and the Balkans at the time. Its construction represented a technical and aesthetic breakthrough. The skyscraper stands on the site of a medieval monastery, where builders discovered a 13th-century well during excavation. Inscribed on the cornerstone is a verse by Oton Župančič: ” That our grain may find a bed, and our harvest be safe beneath a sheltering roof. ”
The Skyscraper combines Neoclassical and Art Deco styles and was inspired by American skyscrapers. Its monumental lobby is adorned with marble, decorative elements by Boris Kalin, and the sculpture Genius by Lojze Dolinar. The first six floors house office spaces, the next three are residential, and the top floor features a café with panoramic views. The building incorporates quite a few innovations for its time, such as an elevator and an earthquake-resistant reinforced concrete structure founded on 16 pilings extending 18 meters deep. The structural design, by engineer Stanko Dimnik, was based on an advanced Japanese model, accounting for a seismic factor 35 times stronger than usual.
The construction sparked debates about the appropriateness of high-rise buildings in Ljubljana, as the Skyscraper competed with Baroque church towers and the Ljubljana Castle. However, the boldness of the project reflects the vision of the pre-war urban elite, which placed Ljubljana on the architectural map. Today, Skyscraper remains an indispensable part of Ljubljana’s cultural heritage.
Program bo prikazan, ko bo festival aktiven.