National Assembly Building, Ljubljana
The National Assembly Building (Slovene: Zgradba Državnega zbora, also Stavba Državnega zbora) in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, is a modernist palace housing the legislature of Slovenia.[1] Built between 1954 and 1959 by the architect Vinko Glanz, it is a three-storey building with an area of 2,200 square metres (24,000 sq ft).[2] It is located on the Republic Square in the center of Ljubljana.[3]
Despite its name, the building houses both the National Assembly (lower house) and the National Council (upper house) of the legislature. The building is an officially protected monument, led in records as the People's Assembly Building of the Republic of Slovenia (Skupščina Republike Slovenije,[4] It was opened on 19 February 1959 as the Palace of the People's Assembly (Palača Ljudske skupščine), because it was built in the time when the Socialist Republic of Slovenia had a People's Assembly.[5] It is also colloquially referred to as the Parliament (Parlament).[1]
Architecture
The three-story building is externally austere. The facade is faced with Karst marble, with green Oplotnica granite below the windows. The only decorative element is the main portal, supported by five pilasters enclosing four double oak doors, which supports a mass of intertwined sculptures by Karel Putrih and Zdenko Kalin, depicting peaceful scenes from everyday life, focusing on industry and family. The center of the building is occupied by the 422 m2, 150 seat Great Hall, where the lower house convenes. Formerly rectangular, it was renovated into an amphitheater in 2000. The Small Hall on the ground floor houses the upper house.
Incidents
On 18 May 2010, the front façade of the building, made of rare green tonalite, was severely damaged by students who threw granite rocks removed from a nearby pavement at the building's main entrance. The incident happened during a large student protest against the proposed law on the introduction of mini jobs that would curb student work and changes to scholarship policy.[6]
Alternative
The Cathedral of Freedom was an unrealised project of the Slovenian Parliament building, designed by the architect Jože Plečnik in the late 1940s. It continues to enjoy considerable awareness among Slovenes. Periodic public interest in the construction of the Cathedral of Freedom has so far failed to result in any action.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Parlament – Državni zbor Republike Slovenije, Upravna stavba, Ljubljana, Vinko Glanz, 1959" [Parliament - the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, Administrative Building, Ljubljana, Vinko Glanz, 1959]. Arhitekturni vodnik [Architectural Guide] (in Slovenian). Zavod Trajekt. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
- ↑ Peršolja, Borut (December–January 2009–2010). "Slovenska hiša demokracije" [Slovenian House of Democracy]. Adria Airways In-Flight Magazine (in Slovenian) (6): 70–77. ISSN 1318-0789. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Opis enote nepremične kulturne dediščine: Ljubljana - Skupščina Republike Slovenije" [A Description of the Unit of Cultural Heritage: Ljubljana - The People's Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 9 February 2012.
- ↑ "# 8825: Ljubljana - Skupščina Republike Slovenije" [# 8825: Ljubljana - The People's Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia]. Dokumenti in fotografije kulturne dediščine [Documents and Photographies of Cultural Heritage] (in Slovenian). Ministry of Culture, Republic of Slovenia. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
- ↑ "Zgradba Državnega zbora" [The National Assembly Building]. Državni zbor [National Assembly] (in Slovenian). Retrieved 10 February 2012.
- ↑ "Angry Words, Stones Fly at Student Protests (roundup)". STA. 19 May 2010.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to National Assembly Building of the Republic of Slovenia. |
- Slovene Parliament building. Virtual panoramas. Burger.si. Accessed 28 February 2011.
Coordinates: 46°03′06″N 14°30′04″E / 46.05167°N 14.50111°E