MOSTIMPORTANTWORKS

INVENTIONS

Fabiani’s Ljubljana

Fabiani's works in Ljubljana date back to the period of the earthquake urban plan of 1895 to the building of the Jakopič Pavilion in 1908. This was an extremely important time both in terms of recognition of the architect and his work as well as for the development of Ljubljana, to which Fabiani dedicated a considerable part of his life.

As an architect of the monarchy and a confidant of Ferdinand, the heir to the throne, it was then that Fabiani received many prominent awards and appoint-ments. He became a professor at the Vienna University of Technology and de-signed his most important works in Vienna – the palaces Urania, Artaria and Portoix & Fix. In 1902 he was awarded a doctorate in urban planning for his work in urban planning and regulations for smaller cities, including Ljubljana.

Development of the Carniolan capital Ljubljana, which had begun in earnest in the mid-19th century with the arrival of the Southern Railway, pushed aggressively ahead after the devastating earthquake of 1895. In 1896 Ivan Hribar became mayor of the city; and the new mayor brought with him a clear vision, one of a modern national capital in the new Art Nouveau style. The rebuilding and renovation of post-earthquake Ljubljana prompted plen-ty of discussion among urban planners, along with the construction of Vienna’s Ringstrasse and the construction of Vi-enna’s urban railway led by Otto Wagner. The first comprehensive development plan for Ljubljana came from the celebrated Viennese urban planner Camillo Sitte, a big advocate of traditionalism; but Sitte’s plan did not appeal to the city’s ambitious lead-ers, so Mayor Hribar selected Max Fabiani to design a new plan.

Fabiani knew Ljubljana well because he had attended school at the lyceum here. In his proposal he connected all existing main streets and all new squares into a string that wrapped round the city’s

castle hill, thus enhancing the leitmotif of the Old Town. With a new circular road he endeavoured to ensure greater openness, transparency and tra3c flow, and hoped to enrich the city with a tree-lined avenue. Fabiani submitted his plan accompanied by his Report on the Urban Plan of the Ljubljana Capital in both Slovenian and German language, in which he outlined the principles behind the interventions he envisaged. Despite the fact that it was only partially implemented, Fabiani's plan came to serve as the framework for all further development of the city.

Fabiani’s idea of a circular road was partly actualised as Prešernova Street, and more than 100 years after Fabiani's plan his idea of circular roads around the city centre were finally realised with the construction of the Fabiani Bridge in 2012.

At the request of Mayor Hribar in 1898, Fabiani produced an urban plan for Lju-bljana’s Bežigrad district in the form of a radial and diagonal network of streets, and suggested key measures to e7ectively link this new area with the city centre. Some proposals, such as the relocation of the old cemetery were subsequently implement-ed, while the issue of relocating the railway line, which impeded development of the city northwards, has still not been realized. Fabiani repeatedly suggested said reloca-tion during his visits to Ljubljana in 1934 and again much later in 1960.

His last work in Ljubljana was the Jakopič Pavilion, the first purpose-built art exhibition venue in Slovenia. It was demol-ished in 1964, four years after Fabiani last visited Ljubljana to receive an award for his contribution to urbanism and architec-ture. After the Second World War one of Ljubljana's streets was named after him. Fabiani's urban plan for Ljubljana went on to serve as the basis for many subsequent schemes and arrangements by architect Jože Plečnik.

FABIANI’S LJUBLJANA

1883passes matriculationexamination at thestate secondary schoolin Ljubljana, followedby architecture studiesat the TechnicalUniversity of Vienna

1889–1891assistant at theDepartment ofArchitecture of theTechnical University ofGraz, with Professor W.Edler von Lowe

1902receives a doctorate intechnical sciences atthe Vienna Universityof Technology asthe first Viennesearchitect, followedby habilitation adpersonam

1917–1918appointed full professorat the Vienna Universityof Technologyfor architecturalcomposition

1927–1931member of the NationalBoard of the Associationof Engineers andArchitects in Rome

1947moves permanentlyto Gorizia

1952on the 50th anniversaryof his doctorate ViennaUniversity awards him aGolden Doctorate

1962dies 12 August1962 in Gorizia, istemporarily buriedin Gorizia

1984his remains are

transferred to theFabiani family tomb

in the cemetery of St. George in Kobdilj

1935–1945mayor of Štanjel

1919–1925teaches Historyof Art at theVictor Emanuel IIIlyceum in Gorizia

1925–1958member of the Board forEcclesiastical Art andHonorary Inspector of FineArts in the Gorizia province

1917assumes managementof the O3ce for PostWar Reconstruction inGorizia, renounces histeaching position atthe University in 1919

1914drafted into the army

1892–1893“Carlo Ghega”scholarship enableshim to travel acrossEurope for studypurposes

1896–1898assistant at the Departmentof Composition of the ViennaUniversity of Technology, withProfessor Karl Koenig

1893–1896collaborator of Otto Wagner

1899–1909 (Vienna)palacesPortois & Fix,Artaria, Urania

1917–1922regulation and urbanplanning for post-warreconstruction of towns inthe Soča Valley and in theGorizia and Trieste region

1920–1935 (Štanjel)Vila Ferrari and FerrariGarden: reconstruction ofhouses, renovation of theGuest Tower, regulation ofthe water system and thegarden, the circular path

1931 (Štanjel)renovation of the entrance tower

around 1930 (Štanjel)arrangement of the church platform and accessstairs and ramp; Štanjel Castle, renovation andrearrangement into a municipal centre withmayor’s o3ce, school, kindergarten, cinema andclinic; renovation of Karst House

around 1930 (Kobdilj)regulation of water supply and water hole; erection of entrance pillars at the cemetery;renovation of ‘spahnjenca’ (old ‘black kitchen’)in house extension

1934 (Štanjel)refurbishment of the Miramonti Hotel

1934 (Komen)Vila Storici (Komen Primary Healthcare Unit)

1938 (Štanjel)Fascia building, today's Cooperative House

1940 (Kobdilj)Fabiani family tomb

1945–1947 (Kobdilj, Štanjel)reconstruction plans for buildings demolished in the war

1975outlined idea in theOsimo Treaty betweenItaly and Yugoslaviafor the regulation ofa waterway betweenthe Adriatic and theDanube

1934 (Gorizia)Church of the Sacred Heart

1902–1906 (Trieste)Trieste National Hall, StabilePalace, Bartoli House

1903 (Gorizia)Slovenian House of Trade

1895urban plan for Ljubljana

1898urban plan for Bielsko Biala

1899Slovenia Square in Ljubljana

1911patent of the device to reduce e7ort required when ascending mountains

/chainless bicycle

/flying machine(multiple versions)

/various militarymachines

/the idea ofdelivering mountainair to Milan

1900–1908 (Ljubljana)Krisper House, Hribar House,Mladika Girls’ Lyceum,Kleinmayr & Bamberg House,Jakopič Pavilion

1902 (Czech Republic)Konopište Castle, renovation

1892graduates and obtainsthe title of graduatearchitect

1865born 29 April 1865in Kobdilj, to fatherAnton Fabiani andmother Charlotte von Kofler

1865 1870 1895 1900 1910 1915 19201890188518801875 1930 1945 1960 1970 19801925 1940 19551935 1950 1965 1975 19851905

LIFE

MAKS FABIANI(1865–1962)

Bamberg house (1907) St. Jacob’s Rectory (1908)

Hribar house (1903)

FABIANI’S LJUBLJANA

More information on guided tours

Museum of Architecture and Design

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Published on the occasion of 150th anniversary of the birth of the architect Max Fabiani.

© 2015 Museum of Architecture and Design, Ljubljana

Idea & Concept by: Matevž Čelik

Edited by: Špela Vidmar

Written by: Ana Grk and Tina Jazbec

Translated from Slovene: prevajalnica.com

Proofread by: Je7 Bickert

Graphic design: Matej Koren Studio

Photo: Miran Kambič

PROJECT FINANCED BY

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Miklošičeva Street 14Otomar Bamberg, publisher and printer19061907Hugo Franz Kirsch, sculptor andceramicist

BAMBERG HOUSE

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Miklošičeva Street 20Valentin Krisper, lawyer and town councillor19001901

KRISPER HOUSEADDRESS

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Miklošič ParkMunicipal Council of the City of Ljubljana18991899–1902 (square)–1906 (buildings)

SLOVENIA SQUAREADDRESS

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Tavčarjeva Street 2 Ivan Hribar19021903

HRIBAR HOUSE

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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Prešernova Street 25City of Ljubljana1905–19061907, 1910 Gym at Šubičeva Street built as an extensionIvan Zajec, sculptor

MLADIKAGIRLS’ LYCEUM

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CLINIC FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Japljeva Street 2City of Ljubljana 1897–1899, changes in 19001901

THE TOWN ALMSHOUSE

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Prešeren SquareCity of Ljubljana1899–19001900–19051905Ivan Zajec

PREŠERENMONUMENT

BAMBERG HOUSE

This representative building of the publisher and printer Kleinmayr & Bamberg consisted of o3ces and a bookstore on the ground floor and apartments above. Fabiani chose a Baroque palace as the basis of the design and in so doing both interpreted and summarized the spirit of Baroque Ljubljana, creating a striking contrast to the Art Nouveau architecture typical for this part of town. This elegant palace fea-tures a subtly proportioned composition of diverse architectural elements, making it di3cult to define its particular style. The facade is divided by vertical elements of washed concrete combined with stone; the central part of the structure is highlighted by the pier that leads to the balcony. Engraved above the entrance is the year of construction together with the owner’s monogram. The Baroque spirit of the building is illustratively characterized by a richly profiled curved pediment with distinct Art Nouveau details, such as decorative elements in relief and ceramic portraits of important printers. Originally the printing symbol was also depicted in the middle.

KRISPER HOUSE

Fabiani claimed that this house, commissioned by lawyer and town councillor Valentin Krisper, was his only truly Secessionist building in Ljubljana. The choice of style for the building was the express wish of the client. The rich facade consists of horizontal elements composed of smooth and rough plaster treatments from the stone base up. The second floor reveals decorations in the form of softly flow-ing fabrics and winding tendrils with multi-coloured ceramic inserts, ending in the volute. Art Nouveau decorations complement the overhanging roof with a cornice, designed in the then fashionable Viennese style of circles and squares. A corner tower with balconies and a conical metal roof further accentuate the building. A wrought iron balcony and internal stair railings constitute central decorative elements and bring a decided unity of design to the house, a scheme that can be seen in a number of other buildings by Fabiani. This composition that combines di7erent elements lends the building a simultaneously harmonious yet dynamic character.

SLOVENIA SQUARE(SLOVENSKI TRG)

Ljubljana’s city council wanted the city to be seen as a modern national capital, marked by this distinctive new square and its representative name. The coun-cil also wished to employ a modern urban design scheme in the Art Nouveau style. The architecture in this part of the city was designed in accordance with the larger city planning program, particularly Mik-lošičeva Street, which represents one of the most beautiful Art Nouveau schemes anywhere in Slove-nia. Fabiani envisaged the square as a raised plat-form surrounded by two rows of trees and a series of monuments in front of the existing court building. Buildings on both sides of the square were to be of uniform height, and all corner houses marking the ends of streets were to have corner towers that would shape the square and its surroundings into a coherent urban and architectural whole. The Krisper House was the first house to boast a corner tower on the square, and was designed by Fabiani himself as a model for all others. Soon afterwards the Regali house, designed by architect Fran Berneker, was built; soon to follow on the other side of the square were the Čuden, Pogačnik and Deghenghi houses, designed by architect Ciril Metod Koch, all of which followed Fabiani's corner tower scheme. Over the decades that followed the square underwent many changes; and it is now arranged as a park.

HRIBAR HOUSE

In addition to all public procurements for the city Mayor Hribar entrusted Fabiani with the design and construction of his own house. The ground floor of this corner building was intended for commercial purposes, while the floors above were reserved for apartments. The building is one of the most interesting among Fabiani's works because it demonstrates the architect's ingenuity in combining and transforming various models and ideas into a new and quite di7erent expression. The entire design is based on a grid of squares, which repeats over both the ground plan and the facade. The rustic elements of the exterior wall are further enhanced by a dynamic facade that undulates in three waves according to the rhythm of the main axes – Fabiani's interpretation of both Baroque and Art Nouveau floral schemes. Triple bay windows follow the undulating pattern of the facade, which represented something quite new at the time. Lion heads on the facade echo Fabiani's sketches from his study tour of Sicily and are a vivid indicator that the entire design of the building is in fact based on classical models. The facade is further enhanced by gilded elements.

MLADIKA GIRLS’ LYCEUM

Trader Josip Gorjup contributed more than half the funds required for the construction of Slovenia’s first lyceum for girls. The design of the building follows Fabiani's plan in which the area next to Tivoli Park is intended as a garden city. A distinct

deviation from the building line emphasizes the monumentality of this L-shaped building. Here the Prešernova Street wing housed classrooms, while on the Šubičeva Street side was a gym on the ground floor. At the corner of the building before the two wings connect is a portico and the building’s main entrance, enhanced by a clock tower that is further characterized by a brick pattern. The structural scheme of the facade follows the general layout of the facility and is based in part on a combination of exposed brick and stone together with plaster. The exposed steel lintel above the windows is both a structural and a design element, which serves to demonstrate Fabiani's knowledge of the most modern construction technologies at the time. Stone reliefs of girls on the blank facade by the main entrance and reliefs of owls in the portico are the work of sculptor Ivan Zajec. The building was later used as a military hospital and, more recently, has served as the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign A7airs since 2000.

GIRLS SCHOOL

Max Fabiani was chosen to design the city school for girls after the initial open competition was annulled. Like many of Fabiani's buildings in Ljubljana the facility's proportions and orientation take their inspi-ration from a Baroque palace. This modern school building was sited so as to form two squares and de-fine the neighbouring streets. This spacious facility boasted 18 classrooms for 460 schoolgirls and a gym with showers, which was a true innovation at the time. When designing the horizontally-struc-tured facade elements Fabiani deliberately used relatively few floral ornaments, which introduced the then fashionable Art Nouveau style. The most prom-inent facade elements consisted of inscriptions re-lated to education, which were never restored after the Second World War. The city's coat of arms above the main entrance announced that the building was a commission of the municipality.

ST. JACOB’S RECTORY

The building is distinguished by instituting a comprehensive program on a small lot squeezed in among various medieval structures. Fabiani shifted the main facade away from the street pattern and with the resulting expanse of street created a large front area suitable for the considerable size of the building. The triple main facade boasts a highlighted central element with classical tympanum; the main entrance and a niche for saints denote the two sides of the facade. The symmetrically structured facade facing Rožna Street shows Fabiani's a7ec-tion for classical design elements. The tower with round staircase on the garden side of the building connects the rectory with the sacristy of St. Jacob's church. The idea of creating additional space by expanding the road outward was later employed by Plečnik when he was designing the space around St. Florian's church.  

THE TOWN ALMSHOUSE

Following the German example, Mayor Hribar commissioned plans for a city almshouse for 150 occupants. This simply designed building was Fabiani's first work in Ljubljana. The original scheme saw a two-storey facility with a larger living room, intended also for daily visits, as well as dormitories for men on the ground floor. The upper floor was designed for women, while the service rooms were located down in the basement. After the First World War the building gained a floor and 100 additional places. The facade is designed without excessive decoration, yet with large windows. The interior of the building was very bright and was furnished in the modern style. The main entrance is accentu-ated with a classical tympanum. A gently sloping spacious staircase was adjusted to the occupants’ requirements and designed in detail, as was typical of many Fabiani buildings, and is certainly worth seeing. Today, the facility is part of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana.  

PREŠEREN MONUMENT

In 1891 a committee was established to collect contributions and construct a monument honouring Slovenia’s greatest poet France Prešeren. The com-mittee’s work intensified after 1899 when manage-ment of the committee was assumed by the poet Simon Gregorčič, writer Josip Stritar and Mayor Ivan Hribar. For his part, the mayor in particular strove to lend a greater Slovenian presence to public space and life; and the erection of the Prešeren Monument and the naming of the nearby Slovenia Square con-tributed significantly to this end.Most Slovenian sculptors entered the open com-petition for the design of the monument. First prize was awarded to Ivan Zajec, and based on an initia-tive from the committee Zajec chose Max Fabiani as his consultant. Fabiani collaborated with Zajec primarily in the siting of the monument in the space and in the design of its pedestal. The monument is sited in accordance with the practice and principles of Camillo Sitte, so as not to obstruct pedestrian pathways nor the view of the building’s main en-trance behind it.

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Gornji trg Square and Rožna Street Parish O3ce of St. Jacob1900–19061908

ST. JACOB’SRECTORY

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SPECIAL EDUCATION CENTRE JANEZ LEVEC

Levstik Square 1City of Ljubljana189719001901

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Ljubljana Castle

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