Exhibition Opening – The First Ljubljana Passage: Nebotičnik Passage and Viktoria Passage

Open House Slovenia invites you to the opening of the exhibition The First Ljubljana Passage: Nebotičnik Passage and Viktoria Passage. The opening will take place on Wednesday, 15 October 2025, at 6 PM in the Nebotičnik Passage in Ljubljana.

Photograph: Vekoslav Kramarič, courtesy of the Slovene Ethnographic Museum

The Nebotičnik Passage, once a vibrant centre of urban life and now abandoned and forgotten, has become a starting point for exploring the transformation of public space and the role of architecture in contemporary society. The exhibition presents the history, architectural characteristics and social significance of the passage from its inception to the present day. At the same time, it encourages reflection on how the passage could be revived once again — not as a commercial space, but as cultural and social infrastructure, intended for gathering, creativity and shared life in the heart of the city.

Photograph: Jovanka Broz visiting the passage in 1958. Courtesy of the Museum of Yugoslavia.

The exhibition is therefore a call to owners, city decision-makers, architects, artists and residents to work together to restore the Nebotičnik Passage to its former vibrancy and ensure its future as a living part of Ljubljana.

Photograph: Buildings from Bata to Figovec, with Nebotičnik and Slavija in the background, 1941. Courtesy of the Historical Archives of Ljubljana.

We look forward to your visit and to reviving the Nebotičnik Passage together!

A publication titled The First Ljubljana Passage: Nebotičnik Passage and Viktoria Passage has also been released alongside the exhibition, bringing together insightful texts, archival materials and an overview of the passage’s activities throughout its history.
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.