Architectural Gallery DESSA

Contact

Galerija DESSA

Židovska steza 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana

http://www.dessa.si

galerija@dessa.si

Phone386 (0) 1 251 6010

Managed byDESSA Architecture Centre

Maja Ivanič, Director

galerija@dessa.si

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Events abroad

Past Events

• 28 Nov 2014

  to

  6 Dec 2014

  Italy Pescara Urban Center

  
  programme

  
  

  
  

  Architecture = 5 Years of Slovene Architecture, a round table discussion and exhibition opening, organised in cooperation with the Architects' Society of Ljubljana (DAL), Architects' Bulletin (ab), Architectural Gallery DESSA, and Hiša arhitekture Maribor and supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Rome,

  
  

  
  

  
  

• 13 Jun 2013

  to

  11 Jul 2013

  Israel Tel Aviv Architect’s Gallery

  
  programme

  
  

  
  

  Five Years of Slovene Architecture - ARCHITECTURE= exhibition and screenings of Small and Smart: Expressions of Contemporary Slovenian Architecture in Films by the Museum of Architecture and Design, organised in cooperation with Architects' Bulletin (ab) (Architects' Society of Ljubljana (DAL)), Architectural Gallery DESSA, RAZ:UM and House of Architecture Maribor and with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Tel Aviv,

  
  

  
  

  
  

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Architectural Gallery DESSA is the first and also the only specialised architectural gallery in Slovenia. It is an important platform for the exchange of ideas and opinions on spatial issues. Since its establishment in 1989 it has held over 200 exhibitions in Slovenia and organised a number of exhibitions abroad.

Besides yearly presentations of Plečnik award winners, the gallery hosts a wide range of exhibitions and lectures aimed at heightening awareness of the untold richness of Slovenian architecture: an exhibition celebrating 100 years of residential apartment design was held in 2016, and a similar project highlighting the architecture of preschools and elementary schools in Ljubljana followed in 2020.

The gallery is also active presenting Slovenian architecture abroad: in 2010 it organised the Contemporary Architecture in Slovenia 1999–2010 exhibition. Curated by Andrej Hrausky and Maja Ivanič, the exhibition was presented at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Skopje (Northern Macedonia) in the framework of the 15th Architectural Biennial of Macedonia – BIMAS 2010.

Background

DESSA Architecture Centre was founded in 1982. Its members quickly identified a need for their own exhibition space. They enlisted internationally renowned architect Boris Podrecca to draw up the first plans for the gallery space in 1987. The space follows the principles of Gottfried Semper, and is composed of four rooms, each devoted to a different building material – stone for the gallery, wood for the library, plastic for the office, and textile for the meeting room. All items except the chairs were made especially for DESSA; the chairs, designed by Niko Kralj in the 1950s, were donated by the manufacturer, Stol Kamnik. The corporate identity of the gallery was designed by Ranko Novak.

The opening of the Architectural Gallery DESSA took place in 1989 with the first of many exhibitions of Prešeren Award winners. The DESSA Gallery was soon gained through articles in international magazines, which were published mostly with the help of Podrecca.

History of the building

The location where the DESSA gallery and office complex stands today was once the site of a synagogue. After a fire destroyed it in 1213, it was rebuilt on a larger scale. In the 16th century the synagogue was converted to a Catholic chapel, which was demolished in the 19th century.

The current building at Židovska steza 4 in Ljubljana's city centre was built before the Ljubljana earthquake in 1895 and served several functions. In the 1930s it housed a restaurant, after the Second World War it became a music school and later a craftsmen's workshop.

Exhibition space

• dimensions: 34m² (7.5m x 4.5m x 3.3m H) incorporating 13 linear metres of wall space
• installation system: glass panels (11 glass panels 1m x 1.8m and 6 glass panels 0.33m x 1.8m)
• lighting: halogen lighting system

See also

• DESSA Architecture Centre

External links

• DESSA website