The publication The First Ljubljana Passage: the Nebotičnik Passage and the Viktoria Passage has been released
At Open House Slovenia, we believe that architecture is more than a building – it is a space that tells the stories of a city and the people who live in it. Our mission is to uncover, explore, present and share these stories with the public. This is why we organise open tours, discussions, workshops and exhibitions. A little over a year ago, we moved our office to a new location, and the Nebotičnik Passage became part of our daily route. It persistently confronted us with an image of abandonment, neglect and empty, dark shopfronts. In the spirit of our mission, we began to explore the history of what was once Ljubljana’s first renowned city passage.
When, almost a hundred years ago, citizens held their breath in awe at the daring height of the Nebotičnik building, and when the Viktoria Palace was being built on Aleksandrova Street (today Cankarjeva), the city was driven by the ambition to gradually become a modern metropolis. The connection of these two prominent buildings at street level by a passage was fresh and inspiring, bringing a touch of cosmopolitan spirit to the city. Architect Vladimir Šubic reworked the main façade of the building block on the then Gajeva Street (today Štefanova) to emphasise the entrance axis to the passage, marking the top of the entrance with a frieze relief by sculptor Boris Kalin. The street created by linking the two buildings offered entirely new possibilities for using the city’s ground floor. The idea of a covered space with small shops arranged along a hallway six and a half metres wide attracted a range of craftspeople, traders, publishers and restaurateurs.
Upon its opening in the 1930s, the Nebotičnik Passage functioned as a lively urban meeting point with a rich selection of everyday and exclusive products that attracted residents, tourists and political dignitaries alike. During the socialist period, it once again thrived as an important space for social life and commerce, hosting more than 18 different shops and businesses. After Slovenia’s independence, changes in ownership and market conditions gradually led to the passage becoming empty. Former local shops and crafts were replaced by global retailers, and many units were left vacant. Despite several attempts at revitalisation, darkness and a sense of abandonment prevail in the passage today.
In the years of the independent state, in 2003, Nebotičnik and the building complex of the former Pension Institute at Štefanova Street 3 and 5, which includes the passage, were declared cultural monuments of national importance due to their technological achievements at the time of construction. The complex is protected to preserve its cultural, architectural and historical values, to prevent deterioration and to present its heritage in situ. Yet it quickly becomes evident that the current state of decay in the passage is certainly not in accordance with the Decree on the proclamation of the Nebotičnik building complex as a cultural monument of national significance.
The current crisis of the passage reflects broader processes of late capitalism, in which the urban ground floor is shifting from a public space to a space of capital, excluding small businesses and impoverishing urban life. As a consequence, the city loses identity and becomes less attractive to both residents and visitors. The passage holds the potential for revitalisation if it is understood as cultural and social infrastructure, and as a space for creative and cultural industries. Young creators, artists and innovators could bring new energy to the space with their ideas.
A sustainable renewal requires a vision that goes beyond the logic of short-term profit and property as a means of capital, and instead sees the passage as a common good. Only with such an approach can the Nebotičnik Passage be transformed from an abandoned relic into a contemporary urban laboratory of the future, once again becoming a vibrant centre of social life, creativity and community.
The exhibition of the same title, accompanied by a publication, is intended as a call and an encouragement to all those whose decisions can contribute to the revitalisation of the passage. We extend our thanks to the historians, architects, artists, collaborators and residents who shared their stories, memories and experiences with us. Their willingness and trust demonstrate that it is the strength of the community that can overcome passivity and create the conditions for a different future, a future in which urban space is not measured solely by profitability, but by its capacity to generate connection, identity and the common good.
You can order the publication at [email protected] (price: €20.00 + shipping).
The project is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the City of Ljubljana.