Banka Slovenije

In line with the first project prepared in 1918, LJUBLJANSKA KREDITNA BANKA (LKB) planned to construct buildings on the entire ground of the former Austrian military supply warehouse (Militär-Verpflegungsmagazin). This included the block between Tyrševa (now Slovenska Cesta) and Beethovnova Ulica, and between Kidričeva (now Štefanova Ulica) and Cankarjeva Ulica. The project was never realised: it was overruled by the majority of the municipal council in disfavour of the modern bank.

Between 1919 and 1923, LKB therefore constructed only a five-storey office building at the crossing of Slovenska Cesta and Cankarjeva Ulica, and a five-storey residential building for the employees on Beethovnova Ulica (then No.16, now 14). The office building is constructed in modernistic style. LKB was tightly linked with the Živnostenska Banka in Prague: all the leading staff, directors and clerks were of Czech nationality. This may be the reason why the office building was designed by the Czech architect František Krasny from Prague. The formal construction decision was issued on 10 July 1920. The main entrance is decorated by four telamones supporting the first-floor balcony. The telamones were sculpted by the Slovenian sculptor Franc Berneker (1874-1932). Berneker shaped the telamones in a generic manner, as athletic bodies without excessive muscles, well in line with the architecture of the building. The location of the entrance door has been moved and the original entrance door replaced many times, last time in 2007.

Banka Slovenije

2 Comments CherryPie on Feb 13th 2016

2 Responses to “Banka Slovenije”

  1. James Higham says:

    Athletic bodies without excessive muscles – opposite to what I once was, now neither. LOL.