Villa Mayer, Villa Široko, and Gutenbüchel Mansion with its park
A conservation outline of architectural and garden heritage
Keywords:
Šoštanj, villa, mansion, building, garden, park, restoration, Villa Mayer, Villa Široko, Gutenbüchel Mansion, Woschnagg family, Mayer family, Alfred Keller, Paul Schmidtbauer, Alojz KojcAbstract
The article presents three architectural and garden monuments, that is, residences of wealthy townsmen and industrialists of the Šoštanj municipality who left an important mark on the history of the town and the Šalek Valley. Owing to their quality design and construction, conservation, authenticity, age, and landscape context, Villa Mayer, Villa Široko, and Gutenbüchel Mansion are recognized as splendid examples of art historical, architectural, and garden creativity from the end of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century in the wider Slovenian territory. Although they have been affected by the postwar societal changes and the ravages of time, the recent restoration of Villa Mayer, the new owner of Villa Široko, and the local community’s endeavours to salvage Gutenbüchel Mansion also arouse hope among conservation experts that the monuments—most notably Gutenbüchel Mansion—will thrive again after being given new, appropriate contents and a complete overhaul.
