Plečnik House in 2025: From Traditional Mastery to Artistic Symbolism

At Plečnik House, in addition to presenting the remarkable oeuvre of architect Jože Plečnik, we organise exhibitions that highlight Plečnik’s work, as well as that of his students and collaborators, and also his influence on contemporary architecture and art. These exhibitions are accompanied by engaging guided tours, workshops, and presentations, which bring Plečnik’s diverse legacy even closer to our museum visitors, and enthusiasts of architecture, heritage, and art.

PLEČNIK’S BIRTHDAY WILL BE COLOURED GREEN
Plečnik’s upcoming birthday, on 23 January 2025, will be marked by the launch of a new publication, the result of over 20 years of research and nearly two years of intense preparations. Together with the author, Darja Pergovnik, MA, from the IPCHS, we will present Plečnik’s Green Ljubljana, published by the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana.

At the start of 2024, Pergovnik curated the exhibition Plečnik and Ljubljana: Shaping Open Space at Plečnik House, where she focused on Plečnik’s principles for shaping open spaces in the Slovenian capital. The book Plečnik’s Green Ljubljana is an important complement to the exhibition, offering a detailed presentation of 54 of the architect’s landscape solutions in the capital, some of which were newly discovered or attributed to Plečnik by the author.
Following the book presentation, an interesting lecture by the author awaits us in February 2025.

EXHIBITION YEAR 2025                                                                                                                
The exhibitions for 2025 will begin with the conclusion of Bart Lunenburg: To Decide Where the Shadow Falls, which remains on view until 26 January 2025. Through his own unique perspective, this promising multidisciplinary Dutch artist explored, reinterpreted, and recontextualised Plečnik’s architectural legacy. The results of his research can also be viewed in the artist’s company during a guided tour on the final day of the exhibition, 26 January, at 11:00 a.m.

Already in February, we will continue our programme with a new exhibition dedicated to one of Plečnik’s collaborators, the immensely talented woodcarver Maks Bergant (7 February–4 May 2025). The exhibition Master Woodcarver Maks Bergant and Plečnik: The Charm of Wood will focus primarily on joint projects by Bergant and Plečnik, made between 1947 and 1957, with valuable family heirlooms loaned out for the exhibition by the Bergant family. With this exhibition and a special guided tour on 26 February 2025, we are also joining the Ljubljana LUV Fest, a festival of love, art and wandering. 

In May 2025, in collaboration with the Plečnik Fund, we will host the Plečnik Awards ceremony. These awards are the most prestigious professional accolades for outstanding achievements in Slovenian architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture, and interior design. To mark the occasion, we will also present this year’s award winners at a special exhibition (19 May–8 June 2025).

Summer months will be brightened by the Missing Pieces exhibitifon (20 June–14 September 2025), showcasing the hitherto unseen, unpublished, and recently discovered printing clichés made by Plečnik’s students. These clichés were found during an inventory of materials preserved in Plečnik’s Room at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Ljubljana, and researched as part of the Žnidaršič workshop.

In 2025, the Plečnik House will also continue to connect Plečnik’s heritage with contemporary art. This time, we will invite the world-renowned Mexican artist Iñaki Bonillas (26 September 2025–25 January 2026). Bonillas, who has also exhibited in the house of the famous Mexican architect Luis Barragán, will explore the shared sensibilities of both architects, which are based on their ability to express deep spirituality, a connection to nature, and emphasise the emotional value of space through architecture.

IN THE SPIRIT OF CONNECTION WITH EUROPEAN HOUSE MUSEUMS
The year 2025 at the Plečnik House will also be marked by the collaboration with the Open Atelier European project, through which we explore how to integrate new audiences into the contemporary interpretation, presentation, and use of the cultural heritage that we preserve at Plečnik House. In April 2024, we organised a creative hackathon, Plečnik’s Ljubljana, as part of the project. We invited young creators to join us in rethinking the possibilities for a renewal of a part of the permanent exhibition at Plečnik House. Spring 2025 will be marked by a reflection and then the realisation of the winning concept from the young creatives, in collaboration with the various partners of our museum.

FAMILIES ARE ALSO INVITED TO VISIT
We did not forget our youngest visitors: families are invited to three family-guided tours of Plečnik House (25 January, 29 March, and 8 November), as well as a family workshop The Secrets of Plečnik’s Garden (7 June). For individual children’s and family explorations of Plečnik’s heritage, we also offer two printed booklets: Architecture as an Adventure (6+) and Master's Garden (4+; only in Slovene; from May to October).

DAYS WHEN YOU CAN VISIT PLEČNIK HOUSE FOR FREE
We will also be joining the open house days with various programmes and free guided tours of the Plečnik House on 8 February (Slovenian Cultural Holiday), 18 May (International Museum Day, ICOM), Summer Museum Night (3rd Saturday in June), European Heritage Days (end of September and beginning of October), and 3 December (Merry Day of Culture). We will also be offering free entry for events such as Free Entry for Families (organised by the Slovenian Association of Friends of Youth for The International Day of Families, May 2025), the Student Culture Week (organised by University of Ljubljana and ŠOU Ljubljana, March 2025), and the European Mobility Week (organised by the City of Ljubljana, September 2025).