The Stefano Boeri Architetti studio has won the international competition for the development of a three-hectare former industrial site in the downtown area of the city of Bratislava.
This is the Chalupkova district, for decades one of the largest abandoned areas in the Slovak capital despite its proximity to the historic centre and the Danube, and one which is now gradually being transformed into an important development district with several examples of contemporary architecture and a new urban landscape.
The competition, which Stefano Boeri Architetti won with the “Urban Oasis” masterplan, was announced at the end of last year by Penta Real Estate. The winning idea presents a plan for a brand new central hub for the city through an important urban regeneration project which will redesign the dynamics of the new strategic district of Bratislava.
It will see the creation of a large public park, whose boundaries will be home to a skyscraper and four medium-density buildings offering 1,300 apartments featuring a significant mix of different sized housing for a wide range of users. The Jury appreciates it the ‘European matrix’ of the Stefano Boeri Architetti project, with its decision to create “a new neighbourhood of buildings that call to mind the traditional stone and brick facades while combining them with greenery”, and all set around a large public park.
Located in a focal point with regard to the main axis of the masterplan and the entire neighbourhood, the tower will become Bratislava’s new urban landmark, offering a unique view of the city. The other buildings all have different heights and have been specifically designed to maximize the entry of direct light into the park.
They will also feature terraces and green roofs which will become recreational spaces open to the community. The commercial spaces and public services will further enhance the dialogue between the park and the residential areas.
The facades were designed with a considerable level of diversification which in line with the dynamic nature of the neighbourhood, define a series of geometries characterized by irregularities and undulations designed specifically to interrupt the concentration of sound waves, dispersing and weakening them rather than transmitting them directly through the buildings.
The facades along the busiest streets also feature the presence of loggias which guarantee greater protection not only from sounds but also from the high winds that are typical of Bratislava while on the sides facing the park the loggias leave room for balconies.
The presence of Nature is one of the most important elements of the project and contributes to implementing local biodiversity by optimizing the ecosystem benefits of urban forestry in connection with the other green spaces in the city.
Other contributors are the plants on terraces and green roofs as well as the green ring distributed around the entire perimeter of the project which, connected to the park, acts as a filter between the different residences and the road, adding to the absorption of the sound as a natural element, thus reducing the noise pollution of the surrounding environment.
Thanks to the predominant role of the pedestrian areas and cycle paths – within the park, the path winds through the green areas and connects all the ground floors – the project significantly promotes sustainable mobility over the use of cars in order to improve the quality of life in the neighbourhood.
With the same intention of mitigating the neighbourhood’s environmental impact, solar panels occupy a surface area of approximately 4,600m2 on the roofs of the buildings so as to contribute to the neighbourhood’s energy needs through the production of renewable energy. Source by Stefano Boeri Architetti.
- Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
- Architect: Stefano Boeri Architetti
- Partner in charge: Pietro Chiodi
- Design Team: Davide Antolini, Agostino Bucci, Paolo D’Alessandro, Mohamed Hassan Elgendy Riccardo Gilioli, Klodiana Kajmaku, Andrea Spadoni (Bim Manager), Gabriella Coletta
- Gross.max: Eelco Hooftman with Barbora Micovska and Federica Righetti
- Client: Penta Real Estate
- Year: 2024
- Images: Courtesy of Stefano Boeri Architetti