Art Nouveau Ljubljana

By welcoming Art Nouveau, the bourgeoisie, which was the main consumer of the new art, tried to attain a higher position on the social ladder. It tried to establish its own aesthetic views instead of being a mere follower of the outdated styles preferred by aristocracy. The architects of the period utilized the advantages of the new industrial serial production and new materials such as iron, steel, glass and reinforced concrete. Their inspiration was coming from the animal and plant worlds, folklore, exotic cultures and religions, geometric forms, etc.

Ljubljana's Art Nouveau buildings were mostly designed by local architects, who contributed to national awakening in Slovenia just like their Hungarian, Scottish, Catalan, Finnish, and other counterparts did in their own countries.

Ljubljana's earliest significant Art Nouveau creation was the Dragon Bridge, built in 1901. The bulk of the city's Art Nouveau buildings were constructed during the first decade of the 20th century along the Miklošičeva ulica street, which connects the old city centre with Ljubljana Railway Station. Several examples of Art Nouveau architecture can also be found in Ljubljana's surrounding areas.

Architect Maks Fabiani in Ljubljana

Maks Fabiani's rich legacy makes him one of the most important Central European architects of the turn of the 20th century. Maks Fabiani, a collaborator of the Viennese architect Otto Wagner, was one of the originators and, in the period 1903–1904, active members of the Austrian Art Nouveau movement, referred to as the Viennese Secession. Due to his active role in the circle of Viennese artists and the famous Art Nouveau buildings he designed in Vienna, Ljubljana, Gorizia, and Trieste in the period between 1899 and 1909, Fabiani contributed to the establishment of the principles of modern architecture. Among other things, he created a new urban development plan for Ljubljana after the devastating earthquake of 1895.