The 150th anniversary of the birth of architect Jože Plečnik

Description (ECB)

The design shows a detail of the grand window of the National and University library’s reading room with a pillar in front of it. It is supplemented with a composition of letters A R H. P L E Č N I K. These letters are built into the window in exact order and can be metaphorically read as the architect’s signature, which is actually exhibited in his own work. The letters are inserted into deepened window openings and can be understood (in the language of architect Plečnik) as spatial architectural interventions, as emphases, inserted into façade or as geometrically designed objects. The whole composition displays an idea of space that reflects the wealth of the architect’s ideas. It is centred around the main pillar, which has a role to mark the coin’s space and set the ratio outside, inside or front, back, one of Plečnik’s common gestures when designing space. With that, the composition becomes a spatial miniature, space within space, multi-layered and mystical. At the bottom, the inscription “JOŽE PLEČNIK«. At the left, vertically, the year ‘1872’. At the right, vertically, the country of issuance ‘SLOVENIJA’ and underneath the year of issuance ‘2022’. The coin’s outer ring bears the 12 stars of the European flag.

Source: European Central Bank, €2 commemorative coin pages. Texts quoted as published. ECB 2022

FAQ