Urbanc house, building in Ljubljana City Municipality, Slovenia
The Urbanc house is a secession building completed in 1903 with a triangular floor plan and a narrow facade facing Prešeren Square. The interior was originally arranged as a commercial space across two floors with a grand five-pointed staircase, supported by pillars and topped with a statue representing crafts.
The building was constructed in 1903 following designs by architect Friedrich Sigmund from Graz to house Felix Urbanc's commercial operations after an earthquake damaged earlier structures on the site. After World War II it changed ownership multiple times and underwent major renovation in 2010 to become the present-day Galerija Emporium.
The building takes its name from Felix Urbanc, the merchant who originally operated his shop here. The decorative elements on the facade reflect how people of that era valued craftsmanship and wanted to incorporate artistic details into commercial spaces.
The building sits at a central location facing Prešeren Square and is easily reached on foot, with its narrow facade highly visible from the street. Multiple floors are accessible to visitors, making it convenient to explore the architecture while browsing the various shops inside.
The building was deliberately designed with an extremely narrow facade of just about 5.5 meters to soften the harsh corner where two streets meet. This unusual design solution showcases how the architect skillfully blended aesthetic beauty with practical urban design.
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