A unique project in the area of underground civic design in Bratislava

Citation

(2000), "A unique project in the area of underground civic design in Bratislava", Facilities, Vol. 18 No. 10/11/12. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.2000.06918jab.006

A unique project in the area of underground civic design in Bratislava

A unique project in the area of underground civic design in BratislavaKeywords: Building construction, Bratislava

The Old Town District began the preparatory phase of the project for reconstruction of the historical centre of Bratislava in 1997. The project deals, in particular, with the reconstruction of the SNP Square. For Bratislava residents, the SNP Square means the same as Trafalgar Square does for Londoners or Champs-Elysées does for Parisians. Opinion polls have confirmed great interest in the project on the part of citizens who believe in the potential of the project to help Bratislava become a more attractive city with a centre comparable with that of other European capitals.

The City of Bratislava, the Old Town District, is a developer of the project called: SNP Square – an underground centre for business and leisure. Rudolf Schuster, the President of the Slovak Republic, supports the participation of the Slovak Republic. The improved conditions for foreign investors in Slovakia was presented by Ivan Miklos, Deputy Prime Minister for Economy of the Slovak Republic at the International Property trade event MIPIM 2000 (8-11 March).

The project has a couple of ambitious targets. It not only aims to change the quality of surface in the very core of the centre of Bratislava but also to utilise underground areas. The underground space should be converted into a centre for business and leisure of about 7,600m² and into a car park garage with a capacity of 800 parking spaces. The estimated period of the implementation phase is a maximum of five years. Total investment costs are assessed at 51,000,000 EUR.

A conventional model of the Square designed and made especially for the MIPIM is in the heart of the display exposition. Ivan Jarina, architect of the exposition, together with Rastislav Bala and Frantiek Csandal, artistic glassmakers, has created a unique piece of art: a negotiating table and special chairs made out of glass, representing a simplified model of the Square together with the underground spaces. "The artistic approach and the selection of materials should underpin the idea of transparency", says Ivan Jarina. "The materials used – glass, anticorrosive materials and stone – support the principles of light and clean geometric shapes. Graphics are done in free hand, which together with glass slides of the current state of buildings gives a complete and realistic impression. The glass chairs are made in a special way and were designed exclusively for the purposes of the model. They are, however, fully functional.

Apart from the exposition of the city of Bratislava presenting the SNP Square Project, other Slovak companies presented their opportunities at the Fair. For more detailed information, see www.snpsquare.sk or contact Verte, Public Relations, Karpatskå 15, 811 05 Bratislava. Tel: 00421 7 52 49 64 64, verte@verte.sk; www.snpsquare.sk Developer: The City of Bratislava, Old Town District, Vajanského nábreie 3, 814 21 Bratislava, Slovak Republic. Tel: 00421 7 52 92 03 45.