The Government Building and President's Office ( sl, Vladna in predsedniška palača), also simply the Government Building () or the President's Office (), is a building 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 a ...

, the capital of

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, and ...

, that houses the Office of the President of Slovenia, the Secretary-General of the Government of Slovenia, and the

Protocol of Slovenia Protocol may refer to: Sociology and politics * Protocol (politics), a formal agreement between nation states * Protocol (diplomacy), the etiquette of diplomacy and affairs of state * Etiquette, a code of personal behavior Science and technology ...

. It stands at the corner of Prešeren Street (),

Erjavec Street Erjavec is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Karl Erjavec (born 1960), Slovenian lawyer and politician * Mladen Erjavec (born 1970), Croatian professional basketball coach and former player * Nataša Erjavec (born 1968), Sloven ...

(), and Gregorčič Street () in the Center District, next to the

Cankar Centre The Cankar Centre or Cankar Hall ( sl, Cankarjev dom) is the largest Slovenian convention, congress and culture center. The building was designed by the architect Edvard Ravnikar and was built at the southern edge of Republic Square in Ljubljana b ...

. It is used for state and ceremonial functions, as well as for receptions and meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries and heads of state. Occasionally, exhibits take place there.

History

The project documentation for the building was prepared by the engineer Rudolf Bauer based on work by the architect

Emil von Förster Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil and the Detective ...

. The first excavations took place in October 1886; foundations were laid in spring 1897. The usage permit was issued on 11 November 1898. The building was at first used as the headquarters of the provincial

Carniolan Carniola ( sl, Kranjska; , german: Krain; it, Carniola; hu, Krajna) is a historical region that comprised parts of present-day Slovenia. Although as a whole it does not exist anymore, Slovenes living within the former borders of the region sti ...

authorities. After World War II, it housed the

Mayors of Ljubljana In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

, the

Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ...

and, since 1975, the Executive Council of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia. Since 1993 it has housed the Office of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, the Office of the Prime Minister of Slovenia and the Secretary-General of the Government of Slovenia. That year it was protected as a cultural monument.

Architecture

The three-storey building was built in the

Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ...

style and has an atrial ground plan. There are two courtyards and the great hall, called Crystal Hall, which is now used for receptions, but was originally a chapel. The front façade, turned towards Prešeren Street, has three entrances. On the sides of the main entrance, which is in the middle, stand the allegorical statues of power and law, created by the Viennese architect Josef Beyer. There are also two minor entrances at the front, one to each side of the main entrance. These entrances open to a busy city avenue and do not make an impression typical of a protocol building. In addition, there are entrances from Erjavec Street and Gregorčič Street. The corners of the building are emphasised by towers. The interior was decorated in the interwar period (20th century) by

Gojmir Anton Kos Gojmir Anton Kos (January 24, 1896 – May 22, 1970) was a Slovenes, Slovene academic art, academy-trained painter, photographer, and professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Ljubljana, Academy of Fine Arts in Ljubljana. Gojmir was born ...

with scenes from the

history of Slovenia The history of Slovenia chronicles the period of the Slovenian territory from the 5th century BC to the present. In the Early Bronze Age, Proto- Illyrian tribes settled an area stretching from present-day Albania to the city of Trieste. The Slov ...

References

External links

*
Virtual Panorama
President of the Republic of Slovenia. Accessed 14 February 2012. {{Ljubljana Presidential residences Official residences in Slovenia Cultural venues in Ljubljana Palaces in Ljubljana Renaissance Revival architecture in Ljubljana Center District, Ljubljana Houses completed in 1899 Palaces in Slovenia