Page 14 - 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
benevolent overseer of the Ljubljana basin.

Zmajski most (The Dragon Bridge)
A road bridge built in the Vienna Secession style in
the early 20th century, the Dragon Bridge crosses
the Ljubljanica slightly northeast of Ljubljana
castle. Replacing an oak bridge damaged in an
1895 earthquake, the Dragon Bridge takes its
name from four copper sheeted dragon sculptures
that visually highlight the four corners, with an
additional 16 smaller dragons sprinkled about.

Prešeren Square
The heart of the city beats strongest through Prešeren Square,
a hub at the bend of the Ljubljanica northwest of the castle. It’s
a prime spot for events, such as the city’s Dragon Carnival and
other festivals.
The square, a pedestrian zone since 2007, began to take its
current form with the construction of the Baroque Franciscan
Church of the Annunciation in the mid-1600s. The 1895
earthquake led to the clearing and revitalization of the square,
with a monument to Slovene national poet France Prešeren
added in 1905.

Slovenian Philharmonic Building
Though its predecessor, the Estate Theatre, succumbed to fire in 1897, the neo-Renaissance Slovenian Philharmonic
Building survived the earthquake four years after its 1891 construction. It serves as home for the Slovenian
Philharmonic Orchestra, one of the oldest in the world. Canadian Keri-Lynn Wilson served as the orchestra’s principal
conductor between 2013 and 2015, the first woman to hold the role.

Nebotičnik
č
Incorporating Art Deco and neoclassical design elements, the
13-storey Nebotičnik ruled as the tallest residential building
in Europe for years after its 1933 completion. The design
incorporated the skyscraper triad ideas of American architect
Louis Sullivan: the base that interacts with the street and
pedestrians, the central column comprising the bulk of the
building, and a capping crown. Constructed from reinforced
concrete, Nebotičnik (translated, “the skyscraper”) incorporated
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. ■

14 | REAL ESTATE NOW | denise@BCislandhomes.ca