Ljubljana is a picturesque capital of Slovenia, known for its architectural beauties. The famous architect Joze Plecnik left an extraordinary mark on the city. He tried to design the city after the model of ancient Athens.
Plecnik's Ljubljana is one of the most important works of art of the 20th century. After 1920, architect Jože Plecnik planned many buildings that changed the image of Ljubljana and made it the beautiful capital of Slovenia. Plecnik designed the Triple Bridge, National and University Library, the Church of St. Michael on the Ljubljana Marshes, Plecnik's House, the covered market buildings, Zale Cemetery, Krizanke Summer Theatre, the Ljubljanica River Barrier, Cobbler's Bridge, Trnovo Pier and other. Plecnik's marketplaces were built in the area of the former city walls, which were replaced by an avenue along the Ljubljanica River. The architect envisioned the marketplace as a federally and monumentally shaped space along the river that stretches between the Dragon Bridge and the Triple Bridge. The idea for marketplaces was part of a larger project to renovate Vodnik Square with a new Town Hall. Plecnik the original concept of the pillars and the river-facing terraces replaced by a rustic riverside wall, which follows the curved Ljubljanica line and houses pavilions with market-level shops and a fish market in the basement. The federal course of the pavilions is interrupted by the temple and the pillars of the pavilions, and is accompanied by an arcade staircase in the area of Pogacar Square and Vodnik Square. The whole complex of markets was covered by a roof made of massive concrete roofing. From here, the central market platforms reveal the main symbols of Ljubljana, which are Kresija, the Cathedral and the hill with the Ljubljana Castle. The market staircase is reminiscent of the famous Bernini staircase in front of St. Peter's Church in Rome. Below the pillar there are now stalls with handicrafts and spices.
The architect also envisaged a monumental bridge with covered stands in the center of the river - the Butcher's Bridge. Its construction was interrupted by the Second World War. Plecnik's markets were completely renovated between 1994 and 1995.