Page 15 - Real Estate Now-Mar/Apr 2022

and peasant uprisings. The irregular medieval fortress now serves as a cultural centre for the city, a beautiful and You Need To Test Your Home
benevolent overseer of the Ljubljana basin.

Zmajski most (The Dragon Bridge) For Radon This Year; Here’s Why
A road bridge built in the Vienna Secession style in
the early 20th century, the Dragon Bridge crosses
the Ljubljanica slightly northeast of Ljubljana courtesy newscanada
castle. Replacing an oak bridge damaged in an Over the past couple of years, we’ve all worked hard to feel safe and productive at home. Most of us have put in more
1895 earthquake, the Dragon Bridge takes its hours in our personal home space than ever before as the pandemic changes around us.
name from four copper sheeted dragon sculptures Whether you created your own personal sanctuary or broke free at the first moment possible, clocking so many hours
that visually highlight the four corners, with an
additional 16 smaller dragons sprinkled about. at home means we may be unwittingly exposing ourselves to another danger: radon gas.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes from uranium in the ground. You can’t see or smell it, but
it’s there. Whether your home is newly built or has been around for centuries it has some radon gas in it, the question
Prešeren Square is how much?
The heart of the city beats strongest through Prešeren Square,
a hub at the bend of the Ljubljanica northwest of the castle. It’s Long-term exposure to high levels of radon
a prime spot for events, such as the city’s Dragon Carnival and gas increases your risk of developing lung
other festivals. cancer. In fact, it’s the number one cause of
lung cancer in non-smokers, and in Canada
The square, a pedestrian zone since 2007, began to take its
current form with the construction of the Baroque Franciscan it’s estimated that more than 3000 deaths a
Church of the Annunciation in the mid-1600s. The 1895 year are from radon-induced lung cancer.
earthquake led to the clearing and revitalization of the square, The only way to know the radon level in
with a monument to Slovene national poet France Prešeren your home is to do a simple and inexpensive
added in 1905. test. Testing can be done by purchasing

Slovenian Philharmonic Building a do-it-yourself test kit or hire a certified
Though its predecessor, the Estate Theatre, succumbed to fire in 1897, the neo-Renaissance Slovenian Philharmonic measurement professional. Click here for a list
Building survived the earthquake four years after its 1891 construction. It serves as home for the Slovenian of British Columbia locations.
Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the oldest in the world. Canadian Keri-Lynn Wilson served as the orchestra’s principal If you do have a high level of radon it can be
conductor between 2013 and 2015, the first woman to hold the role. easily fixed. Radon reduction techniques are

Nebotičnik safe, effective and have a reasonable cost. A
č
Incorporating Art Deco and neoclassical design elements, the radon mitigation system can be installed in
13-storey Nebotičnik ruled as the tallest residential building less than a day and in most homes will reduce
in Europe for years after its 1933 completion. The design the radon level by more than 80 per cent for
incorporated the skyscraper triad ideas of American architect about the same cost as other common home
Louis Sullivan: the base that interacts with the street and repairs such as replacing the furnace or air
pedestrians, the central column comprising the bulk of the conditioner. image CREA Homeowner’s Guide to Radon
building, and a capping crown. Constructed from reinforced While you keep safe from COVID-19, don’t expose yourself to other hazards. Find more information at canada.ca/
concrete, Nebotičnik (translated, “the skyscraper”) incorporated radon. ■
many new technologies including safety standards against
seismic activity.

The modern history of Ljubljana is largely tied to two names:
Maks Fabiani, personal advisor to Austro-Hungarian Prince
Franz Ferdinand, and Jože Plečnik, an important native
Slovenian architect. Their design visions overlay the deeper
history of the city, shaped by time and circumstance into an architectural melange with more than a passing nod
to Art Nouveau, the in-vogue style at the time of post-quake rebuilding. An elegant and green city, Ljubljana holds
plenty of treasure for architectural sightseers. ■

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