Corridor: Diagonal Road
Country: Croatia, Zagreb
Type: Historic Town
Epoch: 20th Century
Theme:
World Heritage:

The construction of the Royal University Library and Royal State Archives began on February 21st 1911 based on the competition-winning project by the architect Rudolf Lubynski. The building was delivered to use on November 29th 1913. Rudolf Lubynski (1873-1935) was a student of the well-known architect J. Durm on the High Technical School in Karlsruhe, and his co-operator on the construction of the University Library in Heidelberg. He worked in Offenberg, Cologne and Freiburg, and was one of the most productive Zagreb architects.
This, to the present day leading mansion of the Croatian Art Nouveau, a successful junction of the early Viennese Art Nouveau and Modern European, especially German architecture from the beginning of the 20th century. It was planned as a substantive building in the park (80 m long and 46 m wide, of reinforced concrete and iron construction), well incorporated in the town-planning model of the Lower city (Zagreb green horseshoe). The high dome above the central large reading room in the axis of the mansion, with four pillars where four owls carrying globes are situated, perfectly presents library identity. The facades with allegories of four collegiate sciences (philosophy, medicine, law and theology) by Robert Franges and the pediment of the south facade with bookselling allegory by Rudolf Valdec, are harmoniously integrated in complete, though simple, and at the same time monumental vision of architecture.

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