The Cankar Centre or Cankar Hall ( sl, Cankarjev dom) is the largest
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
n convention, congress and culture center. The building was designed by the architect
Edvard Ravnikar
Edvard Ravnikar (4 December 1907 – 23 August 1993) was a Slovenian architect.
Ravnikar was born in Novo Mesto and was a student of architect Jože Plečnik. Later, he led the new generation of Slovene architects, notable for developing t ...
and was built at the southern edge of
Republic Square in
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
between 1977 and 1982. Construction was funded entirely by the
Socialist Republic of Slovenia
The Socialist Republic of Slovenia ( sl, Socialistična republika Slovenija, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Slovenija, Социјалистичка Република Словенија), commonly referred to as Sociali ...
.
Origin of the name
The center is named after the
Slovene writer
Slovene literature is the literature written in Slovene. It spans across all literary genres with historically the Slovene historical fiction as the most widespread Slovene fiction genre. The Romantic 19th-century epic poetry written by the le ...
and
social-democratic
Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...
politician
Ivan Cankar
Ivan Cankar (, ) (10 May 1876 – 11 December 1918) was a Slovene writer, playwright, essayist, poet, and political activist. Together with Oton Župančič, Dragotin Kette, and Josip Murn, he is considered as the beginner of modernism in Slo ...
(1876–1918).
Interior
![Cankarjev dom - Gallusova dvorana](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Cankarjev_dom_-_Gallusova_dvorana.jpg)
The centre has four halls named after
Slovene artists: Gallus Hall (named after the late-
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
composer
Jacobus Gallus
Jacobus Gallus (a.k.a. Jacob(us) Handl, Jacob(us) Händl, Jacob(us) Gallus; sl, Jakob Petelin Kranjski; between 15 April and 31 July 155018 July 1591) was a late-Renaissance composer of presumed Slovene ethnicity.Skei/Pokorn, Grove online Born ...
), Linhart Hall (named after the
Enlightenment erudite and playwright
Anton Tomaž Linhart
Anton Tomaž Linhart (December 11, 1756 – July 14, 1795) was a Carniolan playwright and historian, best known as the author of the first comedy and theatrical play in general in Slovene, ''Županova Micka'' (Micka, the Mayor's Daughter). He ...
), Kosovel Hall (named after the
Expressionist
Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
poet
Srečko Kosovel
Srečko Kosovel () (18 March 1904 – 26 May 1926) was a Slovenian poet, now considered one of central Europe's major modernist poets. ), and Štih Hall (named after the literary critic
Bojan Štih). The Cankar Centre also has a large foyer where events are held (artistic performances, dances, book fairs, etc.). In front of the building stands a monument to Ivan Cankar, designed in 1982 by the sculptor
Slavko Tihec.
In September 2011 the renovation of the first lobby was held, increasing the height of the ceiling, replacing the carpet with bamboo parquet and refurbished lighting; The recast was received by critics of the Association of Architects of Ljubljana, the Association of Architects of Slovenia, the Chamber of Architecture and Space of Slovenia, the Architecture and Design Museum, the Dessa Galleries and the Ferry Institute for the purpose of encroaching on the architectural image Space.
History
The ground floor of the centre, like most of the present-day square, was owned by the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
until 1960, when it was nationalized by the
People's Republic of Slovenia
The Socialist Republic of Slovenia ( sl, Socialistična republika Slovenija, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Slovenija, Социјалистичка Република Словенија), commonly referred to as Sociali ...
. During the building of the Cankar Centre, remnants of the ancient Roman town of
Emona
Emona (early gkm, Ἤμονα) or Aemona (short for ) was a Roman castrum, located in the area where the navigable Ljubljanica river came closest to Castle Hill, were found; the Roman wall was dynamited to make way for construction.
Most of the finds have been transferred to the
National Museum of Slovenia
The National Museum of Slovenia ( sl, Narodni muzej Slovenije) is located in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. It is located in the Center district of the city near Tivoli City Park. Along with the Slovenian Museum of Natural History, locate ...
, which stands on the opposite side of the square.
See also
*
Culture of Slovenia
Among the modes of expression of the culture of Slovenia, a nation-state in Central Europe, are music and dance, literature, visual arts, film, and theatre. A number of festivals take place, showcasing music and literature.
Dance
Ballet
Pi ...
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Republic Square (Ljubljana)
Cultural venues in Ljubljana
Buildings and structures in Ljubljana
Event venues established in 1982
Convention centers in Slovenia
Ivan Cankar
Edvard Ravnikar
Center District, Ljubljana
1982 establishments in Yugoslavia