The impact of natural disasters on buildings’ architectural styles

Abstract

Natural disasters have been part of people’s lives throughout history. As a discipline that plans people’s dwellings and designs their living environment, architecture has managed to cope with natural disasters and their impacts relatively successfully over the millennia. Certain disasters can be expected throughout the world, and the safety measures connected with them are similar. Nonetheless, the geographical conditions linked to natural disasters most influence the architectural style of buildings and the entire urban landscape through various factors. This paper discusses the impact of specific disasters or threats on changes in the architectural style of buildings and settlements. Special emphasis is placed on dangers or disasters that threaten the buildings in the Ljubljana Marsh. This region has long been considered inappropriate for settlement. However, because it is close to Ljubljana, it has attracted settlement, despite demanding a special construction method. The Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik, who designed the Church of St. Michael in Črna Vas in the Ljubljana Marsh, also had to deal with these issues. An analysis of the church shows that Plečnik, who lived in the nearby suburb of Trnovo, was familiar with major threats to settlements in the Ljubljana Marsh and took them into account. Unfortunately, the economic situation did not allow him to protect this building from fire as well.