Edvard Ravnikar

Edvard Ravnikar (4 December 1907 – 23 August 1993) was a Slovenian architect.

Ravnikar was born in Novo Mesto and was a student of architect Jože Plečnik. Later, he led the new generation of Slovene architects, notable for developing the Slovene architecture field's infrastructure, organizing architectural competitions etc. He was a professor at the Ljubljana School of Architecture. He also promoted Scandinavian architectural style in Slovenia, particularly Finnish achievements in architecture accomplished by those such as Alvar Aalto. His most notable creations feature prominently in Ljubljana, among them Republic Square, Cankar Hall, Maximarket department store, and the Museum of Modern Art. For his work, he received the Prešeren Award in 1961 and in 1978. He died in Ljubljana, aged 85.

Built

 * Memorials and memorial grounds
 * Ossuary for the Fallen during World War I, Žale Cemetery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1937
 * Battelino Family Tomb, Žale Cemetery, Ljubljana, designed 1938, built 1938
 * Two monuments to the women's demonstrations during the WW II, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1951
 * Hostages' burial ground Begunje, Slovenia, designed 1952, unveiled 1953
 * Hostages' burial ground Draga, Slovenia, designed 1952, unveiled 1953
 * Internees' burial ground Rab Island, Croatia, designed 1953, unveiled 1953
 * Monument to the Fallen during WWII, Kovor - Tržič, Slovenija, unveiled 1953
 * Monument to the Fallen during WWII, Nova vas - Bloke, Slovenija 1955
 * Monument to the Fallen during WWII, Rečica ob Savinji, Slovenija, unveiled 1956
 * Monument to the Fallen during WWII, Ig, Slovenija, unveiled 1958
 * Two monuments to the National and Liberation war, Pivka, Slovenia, designed and unveiled 1958


 * Galleries and cultural centers
 * Museum of Modern Art (Moderna galerija), Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1939, built 1940–1951
 * Jakopičevo likovno razstavišče, Ljubljana, Slovenija, built 1973
 * National Gallery Extension, Puharjeva Street, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1989, built 1992–1993
 * Cankarjev Dom Cultural and Congress Centre, Ljubljana, designed 1977, built 1982–1983


 * Residential buildings
 * Atelier and House of Vida Pengov, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1940–1941, built with substantial changes 1948
 * Bokalce Retirement Home, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1938, 1940, built with significant changes
 * Villa Vidmar Ljubljana-Ježica, Slovenia, designed 1941, built 1943–1945
 * Šiška apartment building, Ljubljana, study 1947, partly built
 * Six housing blocks, Nova Gorica, Slovenia, designed 1947, built 1948
 * University student housing Ljubljana, designed 1957, built 1959
 * Apartment building on Štefanova Street, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1958, built 1960
 * Two high-rise apartment buildings on Hrvatski Square, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1958, built 1967
 * Two high-rise apartment buildings on Pražakova Street, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1963, built 1963
 * Housing complex, Ferant's Garden/Ferantov Vrt, Ljubljana, competition entry 1964, 1st Prize, built 1967–1973


 * Administrative and faculty buildings
 * Council Assembly building, Kranj, Slovenia, limited competition 1954, designed 1955, built 1959
 * National Bank, Celje, Slovenia, designed 1959, built 1959
 * Ljudska Pravica publishing house and printing house, Ljubljana, Kopitarjeva Street, designed 1957, built 1961
 * Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, Jamova Street, Ljubljana, designed 1960, built 1963–1966
 * Institute for Low and High Current Electronics, Ljubljana, designed 1946–1947, built 1950–1954
 * Slovenian Forestry Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1947 and built 1948
 * Faculty of Arts and Natural Sciences, Skopje, Macedonia, designed 1947, partly built 1948–1949
 * Student campus Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1948, built 1950–1957
 * Urban Planning Institute, Kranj, Slovenia, designed 1955, partly built
 * National Bank of Slovenia, Kranj, Slovenia, Designed 1959 / built 1959
 * Health Centre, Rudnik, Ljubljana, designed 1959, built 1960
 * Annex to the Joze Plecnik Gymnasium secondary school Ljubljana, Šubičeva Street, Ljubljana, designed 1970, built 1971


 * Hotels, recreational and commercial buildings
 * Hotel and Cultural Centre for the Carinthia region, Slovenia, designed 1958, built 1960–1961
 * Kranjska Gora Motel, Slovenia, designed 1960, built 1961
 * Maestral Hotel, Pržno, Montenegro, designed 1964, c built 1970–1971
 * Petrol gas station Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1968, built 1968–1969
 * Creina Hotel Kranj, Slovenia, designed 1968, built 1969–1970
 * Medno Motel bedroom wing, Medno, Slovenia, designed 1969, built 1970
 * Babylon Oberoy Hotel, Baghdad, Iraq, from 1974 onwards, built 1983–1984
 * Globus department store, Kranj, Slovenia, designed 1970, built 1972–1973
 * Maximarket department store building, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1960, built 1972–1973
 * Ljubljanska banka Tower, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1960, built 1972–1973
 * Annex to Ljubljanska banka, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1960, built 1972–1973
 * Iskra Tower, city quarter, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1960, built 1972–1973
 * Design layout for Revolution Square (now Republic Square), Ljubljana, Slovenia including garages and passage to commercial outlets, Maximarket building, Ljubljanska banka Tower, Iskra Tower, Annex to Ljubljanska banka, designed1960, built 1961–1974

Urbanism

 * Urban planning of Ljubljana, designed 1945–1946
 * Revitalization designs for south Slovenia region (Žužemberk, Kočevje and Ribnica), designed 1946
 * Urban planning of Nova Gorica, Slovenia, designed 1948–1950, partially implemented
 * Regional planning for the free area of Trieste from Ankaran to Novigrad, designed 1948–1949
 * Single–family homes in Dravlje and Stožice, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1952, a study
 * Study of urban development options for Ljubljana, designed 1953, partly built
 * Regional planning for the Piran peninsula, designed 1956, partly built
 * Master Plan for Skopje, reconstruction plan following earthquake 1963
 * Layout for the Kamnik-Bakovnik Settlement, Slovenia, designed 1968, built 1969–1970
 * Ideal neighbourhood for 5000 people, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1958, a study
 * Extension of the town of Ljutomer, Slovenia, designed 1950, a study
 * Housing settlement Kidričevo, Slovenia, designed 1950, a study
 * Regional planning for Bled, Slovenia, designed 1965–1967

Design

 * Product design
 * Articulum prefabricated furniture, designed 1952, prototypes made 1952 though never serially manufactured
 * Prefabricated single-family house, designed 1952
 * Timber summerhouses Fijesa, lstria, designed 1955
 * Kitchen, designed 1955, prototype 1956


 * Graphic design
 * Liberation front simbol (Triglav OF), 1941
 * Vignettes in Delo newspaper, Slovenia, May, November 1942
 * Drawings for the Bonds of Freedom Fund for 1000 and 5000 lire, 1942
 * Front page and drawings from "Do it yourself in concrete» brochure 1945
 * Slovene National Liberation Council coat-of-arms, designed and executed 1946


 * Cover designs
 * Architect magazine, from 1951 on
 * Fontamara: Ignacio Silkone, Cankarjeva založba, 1951
 * Vnuki: Luis Adamič, Cankarjeva založba, 1951
 * Architecture of Yugoslavia catalogue, 1951


 * Other
 * Honorary chains for the mayor of Ljubljana, designed 1939


 * Exhibition design
 * EXHIBITION SYSTEM I: Exhibition of Swiss Posters Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed and set up in 1953
 * EXHIBITION SYSTEM II: Exhibition of Atomic Physics Ljubljana, designed and set up in 1953
 * Fifth Anniversary of the Liberation Front exhibition, Narodni dom, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed and set up in 1946
 * Architectural visions Exhibition, Graz, Austria, designed and set up in 1984

Awarded architectural competition entries

 * 1934–1949
 * Ossuary for the Fallen during World War I, Žale Cemetery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1937, 1st Prize
 * Cultural Centre Trbovlje, Slovenia, 1938, 1st Prize
 * Bokalce Home for the Elderly Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1938, 1st Prize
 * Swimming pool Kolezija Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1939, 2nd Prize
 * Planning of the Medlog neighborhood, Celje, Slovenia, 1939–1940, 1st Prize 1940


 * 1940–1949
 * Hospital Jesenice, Slovenia, 1st Prize
 * Urban planning for the city of Ljubljana, 1941, purchase of rights
 * New Belgrade with the palace of the central committee of the Communist party of Yugoslavia, Serbia, 1946, first 2nd Prize as 1st Prize was not awarded
 * Palace of the Presidency of the Government of the Federal and People's Republic of Yugoslavia, New Belgrade, Serbia, 1947, 3rd Prize
 * Representational hotel, New Belgrade, Serbia, 1947, 2nd Prize
 * Apartment buildings, New Belgrade, Serbia, 1947, 2nd Prize
 * Central post office Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1947, shared 1st and 2nd Prize
 * Palace of the People's Assembly of Slovenia, Ljubljana, The Nuns' Garden, 1947, 1st Prize
 * The People's Assembly of Slovenia, Tivoli, Ljubljana, 1947–1948, 2nd Prize ex aequo as the 1st Prize was not awarded
 * Museum of Modern Art and National Gallery New Belgrade, Serbia, 1948, 1st Prize


 * 1950–1959
 * Design for the island of Ruissalo, Turku, Finland, International competition, 1953, 3rd Prize
 * Extension of the "Nama" department store Ljubljana, 1953, 1st Prize
 * Canteen for the student campus, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1954, purchase of rights
 * High-rise apartment building Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1956, purchase of rights ex aequo outside competition
 * Apartment building Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1956, 2nd Prize outside competition
 * Layout for the centre of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1957, purchase of rights outside competition


 * 1960–1969
 * Layout for Revolution square (now Republic Square), Ljubljana, with garages and passage to commercial outlets, Maximarket building, Ljubljanska banka Tower, Iskra Tower, Annex to Ljubljanska banka, 1960, 1st Prize
 * Office building, Congress Square Ljubljana, 1960, 2nd Prize
 * Office building, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1962, 1st Prize ex aequo
 * Layout for Ajdovščina square in the center of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1963, 1st Prize
 * Tourist complex, Budva St. Stephan, Montenegro, 1964 1st Prize
 * Urban design for the Bežigrad area around the Plecnik sports stadium Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1964, 1st Prize
 * Ferant's Garden Housing Complex, Ljubljana, 1964, 1st Prize,
 * Design for Tronchetto Island, Venice, Italy, international competition, 1964, 1st Prize ex aequo, production drawings 1965–1967
 * Hotel "Maestral" Pržno, Montenegro, 1965, 1st Prize
 * Faculty for Mechanical Engineering, Priština, Kosovo, 1965, 1st Prize
 * Building for the Central committee of the Communist Party of Macedonia, Skopje, Macedonia, 1966, 1st Prize
 * Serbian National Theatre, Novi Sad, 1966, 1st Prize
 * Town hall Skopje, Macedonia, 1966, 1st Prize
 * Urban design of a small area of Zagreb, 1966, purchase of rights
 * Slovenian Radio and Television building, Ljubljana, 1967, purchase of rights
 * Town Hall Amsterdam, Holland, 1967, honourable mention
 * City centre Espoo, Finland, international competition, 1967, honourable mention
 * Avala Hotel, Budva, Montenegro, 1968, 1st Prize
 * Ruski Car (Russian Tsar) neighbourhood Bežigrad, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1968, 1st prize
 * Competition for the Ljubljana Castle Reconstruction, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1969, 1st purchase of rights
 * Neighbourhood adjacent to the Plecnik Sports Stadium Bežigrad, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1969, 1st Prize


 * 1970–1979
 * Park Hotel and the Bled town centre, 1971, 2nd Prize
 * Opera Belgrade, Serbia, 1971, 2nd Prize
 * Hotel Petrovac na moru, Montenegro, 1971, 2nd Prize
 * University of Priština, Kosovo, 1972, 1st Prize


 * 1980–1993
 * Centre for Social Organisations, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1980, special prize outside the competition
 * Design Components for the urban design of Ljubljana, 1985, purchase of rights
 * South Bežigrad area, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1986, purchase of rights
 * National and University Library II, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1989, honourable mention
 * National Gallery, Puharjeva Street, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1989, 1st Prize

Commissioned projects

 * Buildings
 * Zdenka Reja's tombstone, Žale Cemetery, Ljubljana, designed 1930, built 1930
 * Battelino family tomb, Žale Cemetery, Ljubljana, designed 1938, built 1938
 * Museum of Modern Art, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1939, built 1940–1951
 * Atelier and House of Vida Pengov, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1940–1941, built with substantial changes 1948
 * Villa Hribar, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1940
 * Villa Vidmar, Ljubljana, designed 1941, built 1943–1945
 * The standard designs for rural elementary schools, shelters and community centers, a study, 1945
 * Museum of the National and Liberation War, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 1946, a study
 * Institute for Low and High Current Electronics, Ljubljana, designed 1946–1947, built 1950–1954
 * Šiška housing, Ljubljana, Slovenia, study 1947, partly constructed
 * Ljubljana housing Sveti Križ, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1947
 * Faculty of Philosophy and natural sciences, Skopje, Macedonia, designed 1947, constructed 1948–1949
 * Slovenian Forestry Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1947, constructed 1948
 * 6 apartment buildings, Nova Gorica, Slovenia, designed 1947, constructed 1948
 * Student campus, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1948, constructed 1950–1957
 * Extension of the town of Ljutomer, Slovenia, designed 1950
 * Printing house Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1950
 * Extension of the town of Lendava, Slovenia, designed 1950
 * District People's Committee building, Nova Gorica, Slovenia, designed 1950
 * Two monuments to the women's demonstrations during the war, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1951, executed 1951
 * Monument to the National and Liberation War, Bloke, Slovenia, designed 1950, built 1951–1952
 * Two single-family homes in Dravlje and Stožice, Ljubljana, designed 1952
 * Housing complex, Maglaj, Bosna, designed 1952
 * Hostages' burial ground, Begunje, Slovenia, designed 1952, built 1952–1953
 * Hostages' burial ground, Draga, Slovenia, designed 1952, built 1952–1953
 * Partisans' burial ground, Pokljuka, Slovenia, designed 1953
 * Internees' burial ground, Rab Island, Croatia, designed 1953, built 1953
 * Hotel and Cultural Centre for the Carinthia region, Slovenia, designed 1958, built 1960–1961
 * High-rise apartment building, Štefanova Street, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1958, built 1960
 * Two high-rise apartment buildings, Hrvatski square, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1958, constructed 1967
 * "Ljudska pravica" publishing house and printing house, Kopitarjeva Street, Ljubljana, designed 1957, built 1958–1961
 * Trubar second-hand bookshop, Mestni trg, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed and built 1959
 * National Bank, Kranj, Slovenia, designed 1959, built 1959
 * Health Centre Rudnik, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1959, built 1960
 * Slovenijales office building, Miklošičeva Street, Ljubljana, Slovenia, built 1959
 * Two monuments to the National and Liberation war, Zgornji St. Peter, Pivka, Slovenia, designed and built 1958
 * Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, Jamova Street, Ljubljana, designed 1960, built 1963–1966
 * Motel Kranjska gora, designed 1960, built 1961
 * Executive council of Slovenia, Ljubljana, designed 1960
 * Monument to the national and liberation war, Jesenice, designed and built 1960
 * Standard design for a house, Bohinj, designed 1960
 * Two housing towers Pražakova Street, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1963, built 1963
 * Office building Igriška Street, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1964, built 197?
 * Hotel Miločer St. Stephan, Montenegro, designed 1966–1981
 * Petrol station Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1968, built 1968–1969
 * Hotel Creina Kranj, Slovenia, designed 1968, built 1969–1970
 * Motel Medno bedrooms' wing, Medno, Slovenia, designed 1969, built 1970
 * Globus department store, Kranj, Slovenia, designed 1970, built 1972–1973
 * Annex to the gymnasium secondary school Ljubljana, Šubičeva Street, designed 1970, built 1971
 * Hotel Avala Budva, Montenegro, designed 1972
 * Hotel Babylon Oberoi Baghdad, Iraq, designed from 1974 onwards, built 1983–1984
 * Government palace extension Erjavčeva Street, Ljubljana, designed 1975
 * Annex to the Slovene academy of arts and sciences Ljubljana, designed 1975
 * Cankarjev dom Cultural and Congress Centre, Ljubljana, designed 1977, built 1982–1983
 * Extension to Cankarjeva zalozba, Kopitarjeva Street, Ljubljana, Slovenia
 * Proposal for the monument (Obelisk) celebrating the end of the war Congress Square, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1984, not
 * Vertical extension of the modern gallery Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1988–1990
 * Design for Prešeren Square Ljubljana, 1988, partially implemented 1988
 * National gallery extension Ljubljana, Slovenia, built 1992–1993


 * Urbanism
 * Ljubljana city railway grid, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1940
 * Study for the layout of the Fužine neighbourhood, Ljubljana, designed 1942
 * Layout proposal for the area in the old town of Ljubljana (Poljanska Street-Krek Square-Streliška Street), Ljubljana, designed 1942
 * Urban planning studies for the transformation of villages, designed 1945–1946
 * Urban planning design for Ljubljana, designed 1945–1946, project suspended 1947
 * Revitalization designs for south Slovenia region (Žužemberk, Kočevje and Ribnica), designed 1946
 * Study of layout options for the Nuns' garden Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1947
 * Regulation of Nova Gorica, Slovenia, designed 1948–1950, partially implemented
 * Regional design for the area from Ankaran to Novigrad, Slovenia and Croatia, designed 1948–1949, exhibited in Koper 1950
 * Housing settlement Kidričevo, Slovenia, a study 1950
 * Regional plan for Bled, designed 1965–1967
 * The study of the developmental options of Ljubljana, designed 1953, partly executed
 * Regional design for Piran peninsula, designed 1956, partly built
 * Ideal neighbourhood for 5,000 people Ljubljana, a study, designed 1958
 * National bank, Celje, designed 1959, constructed 1959
 * Layout of Kamnik-Bakovnik settlement, near Ljubljana, designed 1968, built 1969–1970
 * Ljubljana centre between Aškerčeva Street, VII. korpusa Street, Kidričeva Street and Titova (now Slovenska Street), the study 1986
 * Design for Prešeren square, Ljubljana, Slovenia, designed 1988, partially implemented 1988

Awards and recognitions
Edvard Ravnikar was recognized for his talent early on. Immediately after World War II, he became a professor at the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

In 1955, during the early years of postwar reconstruction, he received The City of Ljubljana Award for architecture for his contribution to the reconstruction of Ljubljana and was also the Dean of The Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana.

Six years later he was awarded the Prešeren Prize, the highest honor for artistic accomplishments in Slovenia, his first of two.

In 1963, he became a corresponding member of the Yugoslav Academy of Arts and Sciences and in 1969 a corresponding member of the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts. (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) for his achievements in architecture. In 1973, he was appointed a member of the Association Internationale Le Corbusier in Geneva.

Two years later, in 1974, he was awarded his first Plečnik Prize for Architecture, the most important architectural prize in the country, bestowed by the Association of Architects of Slovenia, for the Revolution Square project.

In 1978, he was recognized for the same project by the Republic of Slovenia with his second Prešeren Prize. The next year he was finally elected a regular member of the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts, after years of politically motivated deferrals. Three years later, in 1982, he was honored by the State of Yugoslavia once more with the AVNOJ Award for Architecture.

In 1984, he was presented with The Borba newspaper award for the building of the Ivan Cankar Cultural Centre (Cankarjev Dom) in Ljubljana.

In 1985, after his retirement, he was named Professor Emeritus at the Faculty for Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Ljubljana where he had been a lecturing professor since 1946.

In 1987, he received his second Plečnik Prize for architecture, in 1988 he received the Herder Prize for architecture in Vienna and he was awarded an honorary doctorate in technical sciences for technical achievements in architecture from the Graz School for Technical Sciences in Austria

Finally, in honor of his exceptional work, in 1990, he was made an honorary member of the Society of Slovene Architects.