Bitenc Room
A SPACE WHERE HISTORY, ART AND ARCHITECTURE INTERTWINE
Bitenc Room
The Bitenc Room at Bled Castle offers a new exhibition space – one that unites history, art and architecture. Named after the Slovenian architect Anton Bitenc, a disciple of Jože Plečnik and a master of cultural heritage revival projects, the room will be hosting a variety of engaging exhibitions.
The architect Anton Bitenc (1920–1977) gave the castle a more contemporary appearance, adapted to the needs of tourism. He graduated in 1947 from the Technical Faculty in Ljubljana, in the class of Prof. Jože Plečnik, and was his last assistant. After Plečnik’s death, he completed several of his teacher’s unfinished projects. Later, Bitenc became an assistant professor in 1967 and eventually a full-time professor of architectural drawing and composition at the Faculty of Architecture in Ljubljana. He became known as a specialist in the sensitive restoration of architectural heritage and in the museum presentation of archaeological remains.
Bitenc gained recognition through his comprehensive renovation of Bled Castle and the island (1952–56). For the renovation of the latter, he became the first recipient of the Plečnik Award (1973).
A TIME OF RENOVATION AND NEW BEGINNINGS
Renovation of Bled Castle
After 1945 Bled Castle fell into disrepair until, in 1952, a thorough renovation was launched under the guidance of the architect Anton Bitenc, a student of Jože Plečnik. The project, completed in 1961, gave the castle a more modern look, giving the castle a modern modern suited to tourism.
Anton Bitenc's work, mainly related to the castle renovation, is displayed on the ground floor of the museum. Sketches, plans, notes and photographs tell the story about an architect who, during the renovation, even moved to live in the castle itself.
Care to immerse yourself in the story about the transformation of one of Slovenia's most picturesque castles?
The permanent museum collection Standing bold, the castle of Bled on the ground floor of the museum reveals the background of the castle’s careful restoration and its role in shaping the castle’s modern identity. Browse the sketches, drawings, plans and photographs and learn more about the architect who not only restored the castle but rather lived within its walls. .
