Galerija Emporium

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Luxury Department Store

The Galerija Emporium, a large fashion store stocking major international fashion brands, is housed in a renovated Art Nouveau palace, once home to Ljubljana's first department store, opened in 1903. The Galerija Emporium is set on five floors offering clothing, footwear and fashion accessories from renowned international fashion brands such as Alexander McQueen, Versace, Escada, Kenzo, Etro, Roberto Cavalli, Ermenegildo Zegna, Polo Ralph Lauren, Donna Karan, and Calvin Klein. Young fashion aficionados can choose from brands such as Salsa Jeans, Diesel, Supertrash, Drykorn, Michael Kors, Moschino, D&G in Tory Burch. The whole second floor is dedicated to showcasing fashion from Slovenian designers and the trhird floor to Desigual.

Schedule

Monday to Friday 10:00-21:00, Saturday 10:00-20:00, Sunday 11:00-17:00.

Location

Urbančeva hiša / Urbanc House

Ljubljana's oldest department store in Urbanc House (Urbančeva hiša) was commissioned by the local merchant Feliks Urbanc in 1902 and completed in 1903. Designed by the Graz-based architect Friedrich Sigismundt, it was modelled on contemporary department stores in Graz, Vienna, Paris and Budapest.

The building's entrance is enhanced by a semicircular canopy in the shape of a flat open, fan-like petal cluster made from glass and wrought iron. On top of the building, above the front façade, there is a neo-Baroque statue of Mercury, the god of commerce and protector of merchants.

The inside of the department store features an interesting ornamented wooden staircase supported by two rows of columns. Among the columns there is a female statue symbolising crafts. The end of the banister is decorated with a wooden female head on each side. Everything about the interior decor, from furniture, decorated with plant motifs, to etched-glass shop windows and lamp design, reflects influences from Belgian and French Art Nouveau. This makes the Centromerkur building a rarity among Ljubljana's Art Nouveau monuments, most of which were inspired by Viennese Secession models.