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Krizanke Summer Theatre (Poletno gledalisce Krizanke)

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Trg Francoske Revolucije 1, Ljubljana, Slovenia 1000386 1 241 60 00

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Editor's Note: This property is the former Monastery of the Holy Cross.

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The Baroque Church at Krizanke Photo - Krizanke Summer Theatre (Poletno gledalisce Krizanke), Ljubljana, Slovenia

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Križanke - One of Ljubljana's Hidden Gems

by fizzytom

Newcastle upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom

September 6, 2011

Best of IgoUgo Plecnik’s designs pervade most areas of Ljubljana life; people live in his buildings, study in them, shop in them, pray in them and play in them. They are parts of the fabric of the city: the wonderfully unique Triple Bridge spans the Ljubljanica ...Read more Plecnik’s designs pervade most areas of Ljubljana life; people live in his buildings, study in them, shop in them, pray in them and play in them. They are parts of the fabric of the city: the wonderfully unique Triple Bridge spans the Ljubljanica River, the recently re-furbished M café is even built into the northern bank of the river and when they leave this mortal coil, some of the city’s people are buried at Zale, the imposing cemetery in the western suburbs that he designed.

Križanke is not my favourite of Plecnik’s many buildings (that honour goes to the now crumbling former national stadium) but it is my favourite of those in the city centre. Today Križanke is the site of Ljubljana’s summer theatre, the heart of the city’s annual arts festival, but its history has been rather colourful. There was originally a large monastery on the site and in the twelfth century it was the seat of the Teutonic Knights. The knights were obliged to take care of the poor and they performed an important charitable and educational role.
The church that stands today (the Baroque Church of Our Lady of Mercy) is not the original one built at the same time as the monastery. That one was damaged by earthquakes and, although it was repaired, it was completely rebuilt in 1715. It is architecturally significant because it was the first in Slovenia to be built in the shape of a Greek cross. The complex was a working monastery until just after the Second World War when the socialist government rather unceremoniously ousted the monks.

In the early 1950s Joze Plecnik was asked to design a renovation project which would remodel the site into a summer theatre for the Ljubljana Festival. By this point Plecnik was Slovenia's most important architect in terms of work done, although he was certainly becoming less fashionable. As he supervised the work, Plecnik was in his eighties.

He was born in Ljubljana (then called Laibach and in Austria-Hungary) in 1872 and, following in his father's footsteps, he originally trained to be a furniture maker in Graz. He embarked on a reasonably successfully career but when saw Otto Wagner's designs for Berlin's new cathedral, he was so excited he managed to get himself an apprenticeship with the celebrated architect.

Between 1911 and 1920 he worked in Prague and was appointed to the post of Castle Architect, creating the designs for the renovation of Prague Castle - this was an immense honour because the castle was to be the symbol of Czech nationhood. It was also an immense project; work commenced in 1920 and was not finished until 1935. However, in 1920 Plecnik was drawn back to Ljubljana and accepted a professorship at the university although his real desire was to create a Slovene identity through architecture. In 1918 Slovenia had been incorporated into the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, thus ending German dominance in all fields of life. It was a time that Slovenes forged a real national identity, particularly through the arts and Plecnik wanted to create a worthy capital for the Slovene people. What Plecnik achieved is really amazing: he breathed new life into the city, creating parks and plazas, riverside embankments and public buildings, and, most importantly, created a wonderful harmony of old and new. One architectural critic described Plecnik as a 'modern classicist', a fitting description because he had a terrific vision for urban design but he incorporated key elements of traditional architecture.

Križanke is a brilliant example of Plecnik's work. He designed it in a Renaissance style, borrowing heavily from Palladi, but for me its the detail not the main construction that is so special; it reminds me a lot of the English Arts and Crafts movement with its stylised motifs and elegant detail worked into the classical design. I also love the way he employed techniques such as sgraffito (a decorative technique that involved using layers of differently coloured clay to create a design on a building) that were in keeping with the architectural vocabulary.

The complex comprises the old church, the new additions of a vaulted cloister, an atmospheric roofed courtyard known as the 'Devil's Yard' (also known as the 'Infernal Yard') and a restaurant, and an open air theatre where concerts (a varied programme of events takes place here from classical to heavy metal) are held in the summer months. The Devil's Yard was designed with the performance of chamber music in mind and the walls are adorned with decorative lights to be employed during concerts while an intricate network of twinkling lights are built into the ceiling making it resemble a beautiful starry sky. Today it's used frequently for musical performances such as those held as part of the annual Ljubljana Festival and the Ljubljana Folk Music Festival.

It's entirely possible that you may be able to get a look at the Devil's Courtyard outside of performance times as it is often left open for visitors to wander into. Križanke is not a museum; you can walk in off the street and see at least the entrance courtyard which is my favourite part of the complex. If I'm passing I often pop in to have another look at the entrance courtyard; there's so much detail in the sgraffitio work, the decorative pillars, the statues that stand in the arches and in the little windows that form the ticket office booths. The courtyard is also used for musical performances (occasionally at lunchtimes in the summer you may be able to attend a free recital) and is often the venue for government receptions or events organised by the various foreign embassies.

Then there's the lapidarium which Plecnik incorporated in order to have a place to display the important monuments from the Gothic church. This is just a small part of the complex but worth a quick look though the church and its interior is deserving of more time. I love the stone pilasters (fake pillars essentially) on the peach coloured facade and the wavy domed ceiling. Sadly, many of the important decorative features were either damaged by fire, or else removed to the Slovenian National Gallery and its a shame that they can't be put back into place.

The Knights Hall is another part of the complex I have yet to see for myself but I have seen photographs which are a little disappointing as there is very little ornamentation.

The summer theatre was built by two of Plecnik's students on the site of the monastery garden. It can seat almost one thousand four hundred people and has a retractable roof for the event of sudden downpours. I've yet to officially attend a concert in the summer theatre but like many locals, I have sat on the grass outside the walls with a bottle of wine and listened for nothing.

The restaurant is something of a let down. You might think that an architectural site of such significance would have quite a swanky, well heeled eaterie but 'Plecnikov hram' is not that special and I've never found the menu appealing enough to eat here. While it's nice that they offer student discounts and accept student coupons (the School of Design occupies part of the Križanke complex) and the prices are very reasonable, there are better places to eat (even if the surroundings are great here). You can, however, just order a drink and it is a lovely place - either in the shady cloisters or at a table just on the edge of the decorative courtyard pavement - to stop for a while. I could happily sit here for hours, continually finding some previously unnoticed detail in the building.

If you're interested in architecture and design, and especially if you have been captivated by other Plecnik buildings in the city then a visit to Križanke , however brief, is a must. I've described it as a hidden gem because it's a place that many tourists don't get to see. The locals all know it of course as it is one of the most popular music venues in Slovenia but visitors tend to by-pass it because it is quite low key from the outside and, unless you're the sort of curious tourist who likes to get off the beaten track, you'd be unlikely to stumble on it.

The easiest way to reach it is to walk along the Ljubljanica promenade north side towards the Shoemakers Bridge, turning right before the bridge and walking up the gentle hill about one hundred metres to Trg Francoske Revolucije (Square of the French Revolution); the complex is on the left just at the brow of the hill.
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From journal Plecnik's Ljubljana

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