The erection of a royal monument as a city planning opportunity: the monument to King Alexander I and Plečnik’s South Square

Jože Plečnik's proposed Alexander's Propylaea and South Square for Ljubljana represented a bold urban design solution to address multiple city planning challenges, yet faced significant public opposition. This study reveals how Plečnik's 1937 project aimed to integrate a royal monument with the creation of a new public space, Južni trg (South Square), behind it. Despite its potential to reshape Congress Square and improve urban connectivity, the plan was never realized due to societal resistance. The research analyzes the circumstances surrounding Plečnik's proposal, its implications for Ljubljana's urban development, and its lasting influence on the city's architecture and planning. Conducted within broader studies on Slovenian art and bourgeois commissions, this work provides insights into the intersection of political symbolism, public engagement, and urban design in interwar Europe.

Lazarini, F. (2024). The erection of a royal monument as a city planning opportunity: the monument to King Alexander I and Plečnik’s South Square. Art and the State in Modern Central Europe (18th – 21st Century): Conference Proceedings, 409–420. https://doi.org/10.17234/9789533792170.29