Jože Plečnik () (23 January 1872 – 7 January 1957) was a
Slovene architect who had a major impact on the modern architecture of Vienna, Prague and of
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
, the capital of
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
, most notably by designing the iconic
Triple Bridge and the
Slovene National and University Library building, as well as the embankments along the
Ljubljanica River, the
Ljubljana Central Market buildings, the
Ljubljana cemetery, parks, plazas etc. His architectural imprint on Ljubljana has been compared to the impact
Antoni Gaudí
Antoni Gaudí i Cornet (; ; 25 June 1852 – 10 June 1926) was a Catalan architect from Spain known as the greatest exponent of Catalan Modernism. Gaudí's works have a highly individualized, ''sui generis'' style. Most are located in Bar ...
had on
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
.
[Jože Plečnik was for Ljubljana what Antonio Gaudi was for Barcelona](_blank)
(In Slovene: "Jože Plečnik za tisto, kar je bil za Barcelono Antonio Gaudi"), MMC RTV Slovenia, 23 January 2012
His style is associated with the
Vienna Secession
The Vienna Secession (german: Wiener Secession; also known as ''the Union of Austrian Artists'', or ''Vereinigung Bildender Künstler Österreichs'') is an art movement, closely related to Art Nouveau, that was formed in 1897 by a group of Austri ...
style of architecture (a type of
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
). Besides in
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
, he worked in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
,
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 mi ...
and on
Prague Castle
Prague Castle ( cs, Pražský hrad; ) is a castle complex in Prague 1 Municipality within Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for king ...
. He influenced the
avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretica ...
Czech Cubism. He is also a founding member of the
Ljubljana School of Architecture, joining it upon an invitation by
Ivan Vurnik, another notable Ljubljana architect.
Life
Plečnik was born in
Maribor,-Duplek present-day
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
, the son of Helena (Molka) and Andrej Plečnik. He studied under noted Viennese architect and educator
Otto Wagner and worked in Wagner's architecture office until 1900. A woman-friend asked Plečnik to marry her written in a letter. He replied, “I am already married to my architecture.”
Work
From 1900 through 1910, while practicing in the Wagner's office in Vienna, he designed the
Langer House
Langer House is a heritage-listed detached house at 396 Swann Road, St Lucia, City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by architect Karl Langer as his own home and built in 1950. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Regi ...
(1900) and the
Zacherlhaus (1903–1905).
His 1910–1913 ''Church of the Holy Spirit'' (
Heilig-Geist-Kirche) is remarkable for its innovative use of poured-in-place concrete as both structure and exterior surface, and also for its abstracted classical form language. Most radical is the church's crypt, with its slender concrete columns and angular, cubist capitals and bases.
In 1911, Plečnik moved to
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
, where he taught at the college of arts and crafts. The first president of the new Czechoslovak Republic from 1918 onwards,
Tomáš Masaryk
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (7 March 185014 September 1937) was a Czechoslovak politician, statesman, sociologist, and philosopher. Until 1914, he advocated restructuring the Austro-Hungarian Empire into a federal state. With the help of ...
, appointed Plečnik chief architect for the 1920 renovation of
Prague Castle
Prague Castle ( cs, Pražský hrad; ) is a castle complex in Prague 1 Municipality within Prague, Czech Republic, built in the 9th century. It is the official office of the President of the Czech Republic. The castle was a seat of power for king ...
. From 1920 until 1934 Plečnik completed a wide range of projects at the castle, including renovation of gardens and courtyards, the design and installation of monuments and sculptures, and the design of numerous new interior spaces, including the
Plečnik Hall completed in 1930, which features three levels of abstracted
Doric Doric may refer to:
* Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece
** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians
* Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture
* Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode
* Doric dialect (Scotland)
* Doric ...
colonnades. His final work in Prague was the
Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord (Roman Catholic, 1929–32).
Upon the 1921 establishment of the
Ljubljana School of Architecture in his hometown of Ljubljana, he was invited by the fellow Slovene architect
Ivan Vurnik to become a founding faculty member and moved to teach architecture at the
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana ( sl, Univerza v Ljubljani, , la, Universitas Labacensis), often referred to as UL, is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. It has approximately 39,000 enrolled students.
History Beginnings
Although certain ...
. Plečnik would remain in Ljubljana until his death, and it is there that his influence as an architect is most noticeable.
Giving the city of Ljubljana its modern identity
Plečnik gave the capital of
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
, the city of Ljubljana, its modern identity by designing iconic buildings such as the
Slovene National and University Library building. He also designed other notable buildings, including the
Vzajemna Insurance Company Offices, and contributed to many civic improvements. He renovated the city's bridges and the
Ljubljanica River banks, and designed the
Ljubljana Central Market buildings, the
Ljubljana cemetery, parks, plazas etc. Buildings designed by Plečnik were built by the constructor
Matko Curk.
During the
Communist period of Slovene history Plečnik fell out of favor as a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
and his teaching role at the university was gradually reduced because he was over 70 years old. In 1947, at the invitation of the president of the Slovene People’s Assembly to design a new Parliament building, Plečnik proposed the Cathedral of Freedom (also known as the
Plečnik Parliament) where he wanted to raze the
Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana Castle ( sl, Ljubljanski grad, german: Laibacher Schloss) is a castle complex standing on Castle Hill above downtown Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is a key landmark of the town. Originally a medieval fortress, it was probably ...
and to build a monumental octagonal building instead. In 1952, Ljubljana city leaders asked Plečnik to remodel the
Križanke
The Križanke Outdoor Theatre (''Poletno gledališče Križanke'') is a theatre in Ljubljana, Slovenia, used for summer festivals set up inside the courtyard of the former Monastery of the Holy Cross. It is located at French Revolution Square ('' ...
monastery into a venue for the Ljubljana Festival, his last big Ljubljana project. Other projects he completed at that time included the renovation of the Prešeren Theater, plus the Plečnik Arcades, stairway and fountain, all in Kranj, the reconstruction of churches, the design of the Pavilion on Brijuni Islands (Tito's summer state residence), and numerous National Liberation War monuments (in Ljubljana-Trnovo, Vipava, Radeče, Črna na Koroškem, Dolenja vas, Sevnica, Laško, Split, Kraljevo, etc.). For his work, he twice received the
Prešeren Award, in 1949 and 1952 for his life's work. Plečnik died in 1957 and received an official state funeral in
Žale
Žale Central Cemetery ( sl, Centralno pokopališče Žale), often simply Žale, is the largest and the central cemetery in Ljubljana and Slovenia. It is located in the Bežigrad District and operated by the Žale Public Company.
History
The ce ...
, attended by many political, cultural and church leaders.
Legacy
In the 1980s, with
postmodernist
Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of modern ...
interest in Plečnik's work, the general interest in him has been revived, as well, after being forgotten during the 1960s and 1970s. Since then, Plečnik's legacy has been commemorated in various ways, most notably in the 1990s on the Slovene 500
tolar banknote, with the National and University Library of Slovenia depicted on the reverse.
The unrealized
Cathedral of Freedom designed by Plečnik is featured on the Slovene
10 cent euro coin.
''
Slovenska akropola'' is the title of a 1987 album by the Slovene
industrial music
Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initial ...
group
Laibach
Laibach () is a Slovenian avant-garde music group associated with the industrial, martial, and neo-classical genres. Formed in the mining town of Trbovlje (at the time in Yugoslavia) in 1980, Laibach represents the musical wing of the Neue ...
. During August 2008, a
maquette
A ''maquette'' (French word for scale model, sometimes referred to by the Italian names ''plastico'' or ''modello'') is a scale model or rough draft of an unfinished sculpture. An equivalent term is ''bozzetto'', from the Italian word for "sketc ...
of the Parliament was featured at the ''Project Plečnik'' exhibition on the architect's life, held at the
Council of the European Union building in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
on the occasion of the Slovene
EU Presidency. The exhibition's curator
Boris Podrecca described the Parliament as "the most charismatic object" of Plečnik's opus.
In addition, on 23 January 2012, to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Plečnik's birth, a picture of the Triple Bridge was featured as the official
Google logo (Doodle) adaptation in Slovenia.
Plečnik's home in Ljubljana houses a museum of his life and work. There are several busts and sculptures of him situated around
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
as reminders of his works and legacy.
In 2021, selected works of Plečnik in Ljubljana and
Črna vas were inscribed on the list of
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
s under the name "
".
Gallery
Villa_Langer.JPG, Villa Langer (1901)
Villa_Loos,_Melk_2.jpg, Villa Loos (1901)
Haus_Weidmann.JPG, Villa Weidmann (1902)
Joze_Plecnik_Steggasse_Zinshaus.jpg, House Langer (1902)
Wildpretmarkt_2-4_Ansicht_2.jpg, Zacherlhaus (1905)
Heinrich_Peham_von_Bojernberg_family_grave,_Vienna,_2018.jpg, Tomb for Heinrich Peham von Bojernberg (1906)
Caritas_Haus_Lacknergasse_98_Panorama.jpg, Lacknergasse 98 (1907)
Graßberger_Villa_(Hernals)_II.jpg, Villa Graßberger (1908)
Karl-Borromäus-Brunnen_Gesamtansicht.JPG, Borromaeus fountain (1909)
Schmelzer_Pfarrkirche_-_Außenfassade_I.jpg, Herbststraße 82 (1913)
Döbling_Karmeliterkloster_Kirche_Seitenaltar_2.JPG, Silbergasse 35 (1915)
Congress_Square_-_view_from_the_castle_(8554806919).jpg, Congress Square
Congress Square ( sl, Kongresni trg) is one of the central squares in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.
History
The square was built in 1821 at the site of the ruins of a medieval Capuchin monastery, which had been abolished during the rei ...
, Ljubljana (1928)
Antická_fontána_Lány.jpg, Fountain at Lány Castle (1930)
Triple_Bridge,_Ljubljana.jpg, Triple Bridge extension (1931)
Trnovo_Bridge.jpg, Trnovo Bridge (1931)
CrkvaSvetogAntuna.jpg, Church of St. Anthony of Padua, Belgrade (1932)
Prag_Joze_Plecnik_Kirche.jpg, Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord, Prague (1932)
Hostivařský_hřbitov,_hrob_Antonína_Švehly_(01).jpg, Tomb for Antonín Švehla (1933)
Jože_Plečnik_*_Gospa_Lurdska_(Our_Lady_of_Lourdes)_Zagreb.jpg, Church of Mary of Lourdes, Zagreb (1934)
Navje-Ljubljana.JPG, Cemetery Navje (1938)
Mariensäule,_Ljubljana.jpg, Marian column, Ljubljana (1938)
Jožamurka_pavillon,_Begunje_1.jpg, Jožamurka (1939)
National_Library_Ljubljana_2010.jpg, National and University Library of Slovenia (1941)
Plečnik_Zapornica_na_Lj-2b.jpg, Ljubljanica Sluice Gate (1944)
Work on Prague Castle
Praha,_mísa_v_Rajské_zahradě_Hradu_(8).jpg, The Garden of Paradise (1925)
Château_Prague_11.jpg, Flagpoles in front of the Matthiastor (1926)
Praha,_Malý_Belveder.jpg, Observation platform (1927)
Prague_Castle,_Obelisk.JPG, Third courtyard and obelisk (1928)
Prague_Castle_yard_2.jpg, Wall garden (1928)
Prague_Castle,_Orlí_kašna.JPG, Fountain (1928)
Prager_Burg_Stiegenabgang_Joze_Plecnik.JPG, Stairway (1931)
Prague_Castle_Plecnik_Bastion_Garden.jpg, Stairway (1932)
See also
*
Max Fabiani
*
Ivan Vurnik
References
Further reading
*Berglund, Bruce. (2017), pp. "The Architect Creating for the Ages," in "Castle and Cathedral in Modern Prague: Longing for the Sacred in a Skeptical Age." Budapest and New York. Central European University Press. Pp. 63-108.
*Prelovšek, Damjan. (1992) ''Jože Plečnik: 1872–1957: Architectura perennis.'' Salzburg. Residenz verlag. Published in English version in 1997 by Yale University Press.
*Margolius, Ivan. (1995) "Jože Plečnik: Church of the Sacred Heart." ''Architecture in Detail'' series. London. Phaidon Press.
*Krečič, Peter. (1993) "Plečnik, the complete works." New York. Whitney Library of Design.
External links
Virtual museum of Jože PlečnikJože Plečnik on Architectuul
{{DEFAULTSORT:Plecnik, Joze
University of Ljubljana faculty
Slovenian Roman Catholics
Architects from Ljubljana
Art Nouveau architects
Members of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Prešeren Award laureates
Slovene Austro-Hungarians
1872 births
1957 deaths
Recipients of the Order of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk
Burials at Žale
Architects of Roman Catholic churches