Mladika

The complex consists of two palaces: the former Licej, the first women’s high school in Slovenia, and its adjoining dormitory, Mladika. The buildings stand within a shared enclosed garden between Prešernova Street, Šubičeva Street, and Levstikova Street. The Licej building, located along Prešernova Street, was constructed in 1907 based on designs by Maks Fabiani, who played a significant role in Ljubljana’s post-earthquake reconstruction. The neighbouring dormitory, Mladika, was built in 1912 following the plans of Ciril Metod Koch, the leading city architect at the time. The Licej building is Fabiani’s only work in Ljubljana that introduced a new type of school integrated into greenery, marking the first use of a visible metal lintel above windows in Slovenia. The architect emphasized the building’s corner clock tower to highlight the axis connecting the Town Hall with Castle Hill and Congress Square on one side and Tivoli Park on the other. The Art Nouveau façade relief at the main entrance was created by sculptor Ivan Zajec according to Fabiani’s vision. Upon its completion, Koch’s Mladika building was considered the most modern dormitory of its time, even featuring a small indoor swimming pool in the basement. During the occupation of Slovenia, the Italian army repurposed the entire complex for military use. After the Italian capitulation, it was taken over by the German army. In 1945, the Yugoslav army transformed both buildings into a military hospital named Vojna bolnica Mladika. Following Slovenia’s independence, the buildings underwent renovation between 1996 and 2000 according to the plans of architect Jurij Kobe. The attic spaces were converted into offices, with skylights incorporated into the original towers — once clad in sheet metal and now glazed — and a narrow strip of glass replacing the metal above the roof gutters, respecting conservation guidelines. A two-story underground garage now connects the buildings beneath the green courtyard. The new architectural interventions, executed with contemporary materials, subtly pay tribute to the works of Fabiani and Koch. Today, the buildings house the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.