New Developments in Bratislava

Text and photos: András Borsos

Formerly a coronation centre, Bratislava shows a new face now in the 21st century. Citydwellers commemorate their age-old ceremonies, but are also proud of their contemporary city. They like walking along the promenade on the Danube bank, looking up at skyscrapers, and visit the comprehensive contemporary gallery on nearby artificial peninsula the with pleasure. The former rust zone in downtown Bratislava has been transformed for the purposes of public traffic, and as a result, which also facilitated live communication with the River Danube. The 21st-century developments focussed on issues of traffic, transportation, rehabilitation and urbanistics at the same time, whilst also ambitioning to express the new identity of the city. The project was named Eurovea, which associates the words European and vea (road). At the middle of the 1.5 kilometres promenade along the Danube now there is a newly developed centrally positioned square with winding buildings that house restaurants facing the river on the ground floor, and flats above, whilst the whole complex is integrated by a generously undulating roof with a spacious covered passage underneath. This development initiates direct communication between the riverside and the historic city centre: according to the time-honoured recipe of a well-functioning urban sphere it blends commercial and residential functions, whereas there are also three office blocks positioned on the busier side facing the city. Now culture is in the focus of the whole area: this is where the new Slovak National Theatre opened in 2008 stands.

Eurovea
Architects: Oru Bose és Marek Tryzybowicz – Bose Group
Client: Ballymore Properties

Office blocks
Concept: Ricardo Bofill
Architects: Juraj Hermann, Patrik Pavlásek, Viera Hajasová, Daniel Růžička, Daniel Mikunda, Marek Vančo, Jana Valachovičová, Beáta Hermannová – P – T, spol.
Client: Panorama Byty

Cunovo Dam
Architects: Vincent Polakovič (2000); Peter Žalman (2012)
Client: Gerard H. Meulensteen