The City of Bratislava announced an international call for the renovation of Grössling Bath, with the revival of the facility’s community role as one of the core criteria. Deichler Jakab Studio’s proposal finished fourth of the total of 77 project submitted.
The City of Bratislava and the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava proposed a unique concept for renovating the 125-year-old Grössling Bath, expecting projects bringing the institution of the bath and the library under the same roof for their call. Tímea Deichler and Dániel Jakab, the architects of Deichler Jakab Studio imagined the presence of the various functions as an intertwined, living and intensive relationship, and came fourth in the competition with their proposal.
“In our proposal, the boundaries of the bath and the library are merged through the passage created as the extension of the external public space, and the fusion of the millennium-old traditions and values of the functions result in a colorful, exciting community space. The past and the present, the bath and the library become one here, in this multifunctional area open for citizens: this is the heart of Grössling” – described the architects their proposal.
“We put the community space separating and at the same time connecting the bath and the library in the center of our designs, which also creates a connection between the recreational park and the cultural space designed by us on the neighboring vacant lot as an internal, public street. Owing to its layout and adaptability, it can serve as the terrace of the café on weekdays on the one hand – where one can sit to have conversations, work or learn –, and it forms part of the public space of the library on the other hand, giving home to new books and daily papers, but it can also be separated and thus serve as an event venue, while not hindering the operation of the rest of the functions. Thus the event venue to be designed as a mandatory element of the program does not appear as a closed, often empty island, but forms a living center offering diverse possibilities to citizens.”
Source: press release
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