The National and University Library — known by its Slovene initials NUK — is Joze Plečnik's masterpiece in Ljubljana. Built between 1936 and 1941, the building is a synthesis of European modernism and Plečnik's idiosyncratic classicism. The facade combines brick with strips of marble and a row of horse-head capitals on the doorway. The reading room and entrance hall are open to visitors and are worth seeing even without a library card.
The building is still a working library and holds Slovenia's legal deposit collection. The main reading room — a long hall with generous natural light from high windows — is an exceptional space. Visitors are asked not to disrupt library users.