The mosaics in the entrance vestibule

The oak portal door leads to the entrance area of the parliament building, where the reception and security service desks are located. A gentle stairway leads to the vestibule, a large passage divided by a set of doors and supported by six carved columns. The columns and walls are covered with marble from the Bela Krajina region. The walls bear two abstract mosaic compositions.

The one to the left, named Composition (or Sun City, according to the author), was designed by Jože Ciuha, while the other (Landscape) was designed by Ive Šubic. Both mosaics (272 x 833 cm in size) were made by the Italian artist, Alfio Tambosso, in 1960.

The mosaics are placed at a height between 1.55 and 2.70 m and made of the same material, i.e. mainly limestone from the Sava River crushed into tiny cubes.

Composition or Sun City, Jože Ciuha, by Alfio Tambosso, 1960.

Landscape, Ive Šubic, by Alfio Tambosso, 1960.

The landings and staircases between the second and third floors feature mosaics with figural motives dating 1958. The mosaic to the right depicting the Battle of Dražgoše was designed by Ivan Seljak-Čopič, while the one to the left (Ljubljana 1941–1945) was designed by Marij Pregelj.

Both are positioned 70 cm from the ground and measure 305 x 480 cm in size. They were made in the same manner by a master from the Tambosso brothers' workshop. The size of the cubes ranges between 0.5 and 1.2 sq. cm. The material used is local dark natural stone, with some pieces of glass.

The painter Marij Pregelj divided his expressive and spiritually diverse mosaic into three figural groups. At the centre, he placed a strong female figure holding a hammer in her right hand and a sickle in her left (symbolising the Communist Party). The woman is surrounded by those who decided to fight, although dark gallows rise into the sky in the background. The group on the right represents the citizens of Ljubljana, then living between barricades and a barbed wire, exposed to the violence of the enemy. Full of hope, they are all looking at a female figure. To the left, a female martyr – Ljubljana – is kneeling tied to the wall. Victims lie in front of her. In the background, the Partisan army tears down the occupier's checkpoint – Ljubljana is about to be liberated.

Ljubljana 1941–1945, Marij Pregel, by Alfio Tambosso, 1958.

The mosaic Biček's Rock, depicting the battle of Dražgoše in the winter of 1942, features a group of Partisans in a fierce battle with the Germans. Two fighters are severely wounded and staggering to their deaths. Below is the village razed down by the enemy. Seljak used a careful colour combination, resulting in a calm and monumental mosaic.

Biček's Rock, Ivan Seljak – Čopič, by Alfio Tambosso, 1958.

Architect Vinko Glanz decorated the parliamentary building with Slovenian stone: tiles, floors, door frames, window shelves, stairs, pillars, and the façade. The building is a true stonecutting masterpiece, since most of the work was done manually.

A stonecutting masterpiece

The National Assembly's building is made exclusively of Slovenian material – stone and wood. The selection of stone – including 14 types of construction stone from every Slovenian region – gives the parliamentary building the appearance of a palace. The construction involved the entire Slovenian stonecutting industry and selected masters of the time. The installation of material, including some innovative anchor techniques, was a particular challenge.

Façade
The bottom of the building is tiled with karstic marble from Kopriva. The four floors are divided by square wreaths made of the same material. The sets of windows are vertically separated by karstic rudistid limestone from the village of Vrhovlje. The spaces between the columns are tiled with green granite from Pohorje. The upper edge of the building is concluded with limestone from the village of Kopriva.

The entrance area
The entrance area is covered with strips of granodiorite and green granite from Pohorje, limestone from Kopriva, and red limestone from Hotavlje. The stairway is tiled with granodiorite, whereas the walls are covered with yellowish limestone from the village of Adlešiči. The entrance doors to the two side rooms are covered with limestone from Podpeč. The six columns are made of grey limestone from Hotavlje. The various rocks, differing in both colour and mass, are thoughtfully combined in an elegant composition.

The corridors
Moving along the corridors, one's attention is drawn to the indescribable patterns left in the rock by nature. The work of nature is always fresh and will never be out of date.

The ground floor
The walls on the ground floor are covered with dark limestone from Podpeč (two types: grey, with yellow and white stylolites; and shell-limestone with fossils of lithiotid bivalves). The flooring is of grey limestone from Hotavlje.

The first and second floor
The walls on the first floor are covered with red limestone from Hotavlje, while those on the second floor are covered with grey and red limestone from the same area. The flooring on the first floor is of grey limestone from the village of Podzemelj in Bela Krajina, while the second floor is covered with grey limestone breccia from the karstic village of Rubija. On both floors, a narrow strip of black limestone from Drenov Grič can be observed at approximately 15 cm above the ground.

The third floor
The walls on the third floor are covered with tiles of calcite sinter from the karstic village of Gorjansko. This stone is characterised by a fresh, honey-like colour and an interesting multilayered texture resembling wood. Light makes the calcite crystals sparkle. The flooring is solid karstic limestone from Kopriva.

The central staircases
The two central staircases are covered with green granite rimmed with granodiorite. The stairs are made of a single piece of massive granodiorite. The walls are tiled with grey and pink marble from Hotavlje.

The side stairways
The side stairways are covered with three types of limestone. The walls are tiled with rudistid limestone from Vrhovlje. The stairs are covered with tiles of black limestone from the karstic village of Kazlje, and contain a number of fossilised shells. The flooring of the stairs and landings is of limestone from Kopriva.