Nulla Dies Sine Linea. Professor Plečnik and his School in Ljubljana

The catalogue traces the principles and ideals of Plečnik’s pedagogical approach through the works and memories of his students. It presents the assignments given to students, highlighting their high skill level in drawing and design. Beginners were first assigned simpler tasks in applied arts – designing a book cover, a door handle, a candlestick, or furniture. Later, they progressed to designing small monuments such as fountains, tombstones, ossuaries, chapels, and even beehives.

Work at school ran from morning until lunch and continued well into the evening. Saturday was a student holiday, and on that day, students displayed their homework assignments across the drawing room for self-assessment before receiving their grades from the professor. By the third year, architectural composition had replaced architectural drawing, and students had devoted themselves to more complex assignments –  tombs and public buildings such as churches, schools, post offices, fire stations, and galleries, as well as urban planning. As Plečnik received more complex commissions, students contributed to these projects. Some commissions were given to students for initial conceptual exploration, while for others they assisted him in testing and refining his solutions.