Jurkovič Heating Plant

Penta Real Estate

Short description

Jurkovič Heating plant is a reconstruction of a national cultural monument which was designed by the legend of Slovak architecture, Dušan Jurkovič, and built in the former industrial area of Bratislava in 1942. In 1944, during the WWII, the building was partially damaged by bombing. Subsequently, it was slowly put back into operation until it was eventually shut down during the late 20th century. In 2008, the building was recognized as a national cultural monument.
In 2018, Penta Real Estate obtained a permit for its revitalization and decided to create a new multi-purpose space in the newly built down-town of Bratislava.
Nowadays, the building represents unity of different architectural styles including Art Nouveau, modernism, and functionalism. Considering that it originally served as heating plant, its interior had to be adjusted to work with its new purpose. Architects designed a new construction inside the building to strengthen the original structure and to add new stories. The construction process was difficult and had to be realized through an opening in the roof.
In order to protect the legacy of Dušan Jurkovič, many of the original elements were preserved such as: the roof structure, a restored crane installed in the area, the original windows, bricks later used in the interior, or the nationally protected coal hoppers. The original windows were used as a division wall between the restaurant and the café with a gallery. The architects designed glass-floored meeting rooms within the coal hoppers so that the inside of the structure could still be visible. The entire interior represents a contrast between the old and the new thus creating a multi-purpose space with a restaurant, a gallery, a café, and a co-working space.