With its functional design that allows adapting to present-day needs, CD, the leading Slovenian cultural and congress centre built between 1978 and 1982, continues to meet the modern demands of a congress and cultural centre. Named after one of the greatest Slovenian writers, Ivan Cankar, and designed by architect Edo Ravnikar (student of famous architect Jože Plečnik), CD is, simply put, a perfectly designed and technologically advanced venue, offering everything under one roof.
The building of CD is a work of art in itself, inspiring discovery and creating a unique experience. Those who know something about Slovenian literature and the renowned Slovenian writer Ivan Cankar know the reason why the leading Slovenian cultural and congress centre has been named after the famous author. Very proud of its history and continuing the legacy of Slovenian rich culture, Cankarjev dom Ljubljana has become a Slovenian cultural and congress institution. When taking a look at Cankar’s life and his amazing body of work, one soon understands why the largest Slovenian cultural and congress centre with 36 000 sq. metres was named after him.
On 10th May 2017, CD will proudly celebrate the 141th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Cankar with a special event in the immediate vicinity of Cankarjev dom, in front of the Ivan Cankar monument that was made by sculptor Slavko Tihec and inaugurated on 10 May 1982. With a ceremony “In memory of the artist” the special event will celebrate the giant of Slovenian written word with recitations of his poem “We Met in the Street” (Srečala sva se na cesti) in 8 different languages by some famous foreign artists who have been living and working in Slovenia for a number of years, accompanied by a musical performance of Janez Škof on the accordion and an address by Cankarjev dom’s Director General, Uršula Cetinski.
Cankarjev dom, the leading Slovenian cultural and congress centre, recognises Ivan Cankar’s enduring cultural legacy and pursues its mission of presenting it also to future generation.
Who is Ivan Cankar?
Ivan Cankar (1876–1918) is a Slovenian writer, playwright and poet. A representative of modernism, the period marked an emergence of new themes, motifs, phrases and thought, closely related to developments in contemporary society, the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, part of which was Slovenia at the time, increasingly focusing on the awareness of the need to create an independent state, which was implemented on 25th June 1991. Ivan Cankar was not only the greatest Slovenian writer and central figure of modern Slovenian literature – his works drawing attention to social injustice and hypocrisy of different layers and structures of society, but was also a socially committed political activist and one of the greatest speakers of his time. As Ivan Cankar was instrumental in raising the Slovenian literature to the global level, Slovenia’s largest cultural and congress centre can proudly bear his name.
