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The international competition realized in the form of a competition dialogue to restore two frequented squares – SNP and Kamenné Squares continues with the next phase.

The expert competition jury has selected 4 teams, which have received the highest marks for their professional approach to the design solution.

Overall 23 architecture teams expressed their interest in participating in the competition dialogue. Out of them 17 met the conditions to enter the competition, the countries being Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Great Britain.

The competition being realized in the form of the competition dialogue with the design competition feature is held in Slovakia for the first time ever.

The interest from architecture studios from all over the Europe shows, that the architecture and urban competitions have a potential to attract teams, that are able to increase the quality of the approach to the solutions for the public spaces.

4 teams with the highest marks:

🏆 Atelier Loidl Landscape Architects Berlin; BPR Dr. Schäpertons Consult (Germany), one of their projects being the park Gleisdreieck in Berlin, Germany.

https://atelier-loidl.de/en/gleisdreieck-westpark-berlin

🏆 REHWALDT LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS (Germany), one of their projects being the main square in Halle, Germany.

https://www.rehwaldt.de/projekt.php?proj=MHL

🏆 Rusina Frei, s.r.o. OMGEVING cvba MINT (Czech Republic), Rusina Frei studio has realized also the Loučná river bank renovation in Litomyšl town, Czech Republic.

https://www.rusinafrei.cz/…/obnova-nabrezi-reky-loucne…/

🏆 Sadar + Vuga d.o.o. (Slovenia) besides other projects, they are co-authors of the boulevard Slovenska cesta in Ljubljana, Slovenia

https://www.sadarvuga.com/project/slovenska-boulevard/

The basic principles that need to be implemented at the squares are improved arrangement, cleanness, safety and accommodating feeling, preference of the pedestrian and cyclist movement, providing reasons to spend time there, addition of the seating street furniture and greenery.

The teams were asked to provide 3 referential projects in this phase of the dialogue, which were evaluated based on the following criteria:

Solution of the urban relationships, landscape adjustments and the conception of the transportation and technical infrastructure.

Architecture, design of the public spaces and quality of the adaptation/restoration of the spaces/objects.

Efficiency, economic viability, ecology of the design and the appropriateness of the chosen professional procedure.

Today we have announced an architecture competition with the scope of bringing a complex transformation of one of the most significant urban spaces in Bratislava – SNP and Kamenné Squares including Klobučnícka and Treskoňova Streets.

The driving force is in particular the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava, which has, in one of its first projects, undertaken to literally repair this public space.

We have followed up on the Vivid Square project and the enthusiasm and ardour of the excellent people from the civic associations and volunteers, who had already managed to transform the space in front of the Old Market Hall, has its continuation also in the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava.

In the Vivid Square project data were collected and analyses created related to SNP and Kamenné Squares. These provide a basis for the public architecture competition, where one outcome could be a longterm development strategy of this area. The intention is to have the best architects to create the future design of the square in order to have the best version that can nowadays be realized.

To enter the competition is possible till 17th of January 2020 at: https://bratislava.sk/…/namestie-snp-a-kamenne-namestie…

More details can be found in the press release: https://www.bratislava.sk/…/vyhlasujeme-sutaz-na-zive…

„Whether in New York or Paris, I have seen and experienced street seating that could be used by the residents freely in order to have a seat in their city’s public space. We want people to like Bratislava, to own it and street seating is one of the possibilities how to achieve it. I believe, that this concept will be successful in Bratislava and will be gradually implemented all over the city. Public space cultivation and projects of this nature will be one of the key tasks of the newly established Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava,“ said the Bratislava mayor Matúš Vallo.

Have a seat! project provides new mobile seating sets to the centre of Bratislava. Both Bratislava residents and tourists will have the possibility to relax or just hang out with friends during the warm months. Seating of the same brand can also be found for example in Paris parks.

Starting today, first mobile sets will be implemented on Primate’s Square and in front of the Old Market Hall. The next planned location is the Danube River Bank next to Propeler café and gradually at the beginning of the summer further sets should be implemented in the localities Komenského Square, Treskoňova Street, SNP Square and Kamenné Square. Overall, there should be both in the direct and broader centre 80 tables and 240 chairs.

The project is realized in cooperation with the communities and partners living and operating in the square area, capital city Bratislava, city quarter The Old Town, Volkswagen Slovakia company and Slovenská sporiteľňa Foundation. In the future, the projects to improve the public space including the expansion of the Have a seat! project will be covered by the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava, where a Public Space Manual will be elaborated, as well as many more activities with the scope to engage Bratislava residents to the city’s life and development.

The advantage of the mobile street seating is that the chairs and tables are not firmly attached. It is possible to move them around as needed, whether from the shade to the sun, or to have a better view, or to arrange them in order to enable a larger group of friends to sit together. In winter the sets will be stored, eliminating barriers in the city that would be of no purpose during the cold months.

The business operations in the proximity of the street seating will take care of the maintenance and storage of the tables and chairs based on a contract. They will be responsible also for keeping the street seating clean, reporting the damages or protect them from being damaged. However, these sets are not standard summer terraces, that the business operation should also serve. The unique feature of the street seating is that the users can dring and eat their own food and beverages (obviously except the alcoholic beverages).