You are cordially invited to the opening of the 2026 Plečnik Awards photography exhibition by photographer and visual artist Jaka Teršek, which will take place on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the DESSA Gallery.
Prior to that, at 6 p.m. at DESSA, there will be a discussion titled “Shifting” between Andreas Ruby, chair of this year’s Plečnik Awards jury, and Maja Vardjan.
The winners of the 2026 Plečnik Awards will be announced following the awards ceremony on Monday, May 25, 2026.
Catalogue 2026 Plečnik Awards.pdf
in media
28. 05. 2026: weArch
We've got a problem in this world. The world as we knew it has been out of joint. Increasingly, we call this present time of madness and savagery the new reality. In this reality, rules no longer hold, nor do the established norms of international law or, indeed, the rights of citizens and communities; only the voice of the strongest applies and is heard. Wealth and influence supply the power which crushes everything in its path. It is as though in this new reality, no room is left for kindness, solidarity, and warmth anymore. While in Europe, we are safe from imminent threats for the time being, the mounting domination of the Zeitgeist and the accompanying manner of conduct, based on inner circles of power and single-mindedness, are being transmitted to various facets of the society ever more.
There are several paths to a different world. Among the diverse approaches, that which gives the opportunity and voice to thoughtful young people seems to gleam with the most promise. This includes architecture, its discourse, and its representations.
Exhibition An Outside View in Gallery DESSA, which showcases the works presented with the 2026 Plečnik Awards through the photographs of young photographer and visual artist Jaka Teršek, sets out to carry out this very undertaking: empowering the young, those with different values, those standing outside the established circles of worthiness. Architecture is conventionally viewed through established premises. In the Slovene architectural milieu, particularly due to the pettiness of our society, we are perhaps even more accustomed to recognising "proper" architecture by means of almost standardised viewpoints.
Jaka Teršek’s photographs unveil a view of the architecture from a displaced perspective, they impart novelty to the awarded architectural realisations and they peel back the layers of meaning harboured by the showcased works. A different view of architectural practice is all the more vital in a time when thinking itself is being replaced by imagery, as it reveals new spaces and portrays alternative sensations triggered by this architecture.
dr. Mateja Kurir
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2026 Plečnik Awards
Plečnik Award for Public Space
Boathouse Zaka
Rok Oman, Špela Videčnik, Janez Martinčič, Andrej Gregorič, Rok Dolinšek, Amadej Mravlak, Matej Krajnc, Vladyslav Bondarenko, Adrien Riviere, Domen Ovsenik, Tilen Sepič
Plečnik Medal for Small-Scale Architectural Realisation
House B2
Matjaž Bolčina, Ernest Milčinović, Urška Bertok Herman, Jan Žonta
Plečnik Medal for Large-Scale Architectural Realisation
Layout of Glavni Square in Vipava
Tomaž Krušec, Lena Krušec, Neža Novak
Plečnik Medal for the Enrichment of Spatial Culture
Book Plečnik's Green Ljubljana
Darja Pergovnik (author), Maja Kovač (editor)
Plečnik Medal for Publication
Book Enfilade: The Life of an Apartment – in Slovene only
Miloš Kosec
Plečnik Fund Grant
Anton, a Slovene Apiary in an Urban Environment
Nika Jeromel, Erika Slovša
mentored by Mitja Zorc
co-mentored by Tadej Urh
____________________________
An Outside View
Jaka Teršek
Photography exhibiton of 2026 Plečnik Awards
Curators
Maja Ivanič, Špela Kuhar
Author of the photographs
Jaka Teršek
Introduction
dr. Mateja Kurir
Proofreading
Katja Paladin
English translation
Sašo Podobnik
Graphic design
Ivan Ilić
Invitation and brochure printed by
Matformat
Posters printed by
Mediaplan 8
Produced and organised by
Galerija DESSA
May 2026
Sponsors
Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia
City of Ljubljana
In media
28. 05. 2026: https://www.wearch.eu/i-premi-plecnik-plecnikove-nagrade-2026/
You are cordially invited to the opening of the 2026 Plečnik Awards photography exhibition by photographer and visual artist Jaka Teršek, which will take place on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the DESSA Gallery.
Prior to that, at 6 p.m. at DESSA, there will be a discussion titled “Shifting” between Andreas Ruby, chair of this year’s Plečnik Awards jury, and Maja Vardjan.
The winners of the 2026 Plečnik Awards will be announced following the awards ceremony on Monday, May 25, 2026.
Catalogue 2026 Plečnik Awards.pdf
in media
28. 05. 2026: weArch
CONTACT
DESSA, Ljubljana
Zidovska steza 4
SI-1000 Ljubljana
T +386 1 25 16 010
E galerija@dessa.si
OPENING HOURS
Tuesday – Friday
12:00 – 18:00
DESSA gallery is a member of the Architect Jože Plečnik Fund Assembly and Fund Board, which awards the most important national Plečnik Awards
and
an Advisory Committee Member, which presents the most important European awards for architecture, the EUmies Awards.
The private institute DESSA architectural center has the status of a non-governmental organization that works in the public interest in the field of culture (Ministry of Culture) and in the field of spatial planning (Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning).
The interior of Gallery DESSA at Židovska steza 4 in Ljubljana, designed in 1988 by architect Boris Podrecca together with Slovenian architects, has been declared a cultural monument of local importance in March 25, 2024.
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