Missing Parts

In 2019, on the centenary of the University of Ljubljana, the curators of the Plečnik House systematically catalogued for the first time the contents of the cabinets in Plečnik’s study at the Faculty of Architecture. Among the items were books, student assignments, and—in small cardboard boxes—metal printing plates. Their purpose was not immediately clear: had they ever been printed, for which publication were they made, or had they ever been used at all?

Printing plates carry a mirrored image, created on the basis of drawings, which only reveal their true form once printed. Their final appearance depends on printing techniques and materials, as a group of architecture students tested in a workshop at the tipoRenesansa printing studio. It turned out that the plates depicted unrealised Plečnik projects as well as works of his students, created between 1942 and 1952 as part of the pedagogical process.

Further research showed that the plates were originally intended for the publication Napori, which Plečnik conceived as a presentation of student theses and design projects. In the final edition of the book, published in 1955 and edited by France Stele, however, some motifs were not included. The exhibition Missing Parts presents for the first time prints of these unused plates, thus raising questions of selection, documentation, and the evaluation of architectural heritage.

The display brings together the book Napori, the original plates, mirrored compositions, student prints, as well as documentation and video material. The curatorial approach is based on confronting historical artefacts with contemporary student interpretations, thereby transcending mere documentary value and activating Plečnik’s legacy anew. The project thus contributes to a broader understanding of architectural education and underscores the importance of interdisciplinary research.