<River Park>

Starting next spring, J&T GLOBAL will significantly change the appearance of Bratislava. The project, which will grow on the Bratislava waterfront over the course of two years, will bring the capital of Slovakia closer to modern European metropolises through its top-notch architecture.
"The project that we will build on the Bratislava waterfront is called RIVER PARK, through which we wanted to express its connection to the river. The word Park is intended to evoke pleasant feelings that I hope will be associated with the new landmark of Bratislava," explained Peter Korbačka, chairman of the board of J&T GLOBAL. "Although Bratislava has been referred to as the beauty on the Danube, a visitor can quickly notice that Bratislava has never really loved its river. And it has never connected with the river the way Prague has, for example. Therefore, we wanted to bring life to the river," commented the project architect Erick van Egeraat.
In developing the project, both the investor and architect respected the capital city's requirements for sensitively incorporating the project into the existing city skyline, which resonates with the undulating contours of the Little Carpathians, the richly structured silhouette of the Old Town, and the strong presence of the castle hill. Since the investor's intention was to create a new city landmark, the project author avoided a potential conflicting height with Bratislava Castle by "projecting" one of the buildings above the Danube river level. By creating an original distinctive element, he fulfilled the investor's intention without making an insensitive intervention into the character of the city. The way Egeraat addresses the layout of the built environment and individual projects is valuable in that, thanks to the views from the promenade towards the greenery of Bôrik, there is no material or operational "barrier," but the space remains "airy."
With its functions, RIVER PARK corresponds to the slogan CITY IN A CITY. It will include a five-star hotel, which has been lacking in the capital so far. On an area of more than 43,000 m², there will be 340 apartments, and over 28,000 m² is allocated for the highest quality office spaces. Cafés, restaurants, shops, a supermarket, a fitness center, a bank, and additional services for residents, as well as park visitors looking to enjoy the wide promenade for a walk, will not be missing. RIVER PARK, in connection with the neighboring Park of Culture and Leisure, is to become an extension of the existing center of the capital.
"RIVER PARK should be alive 24 hours a day. So that people can work, relax, have fun, and live here," explained Peter Korbačka. Erick van Egeraat, founder of the studio Erick van Egeraat associated architects, is considered one of the top contemporary European architects. He is particularly known for rebelling against the cold, austerity, and harshness that usually accompany the clean lines highly valued by architects. Egeraat's main value is to ensure that people for whom the designs are intended feel comfortable in the buildings he designs.

RIVER PARK in facts:
Land area: 24,000 m²
Of which promenade: 3,000 m²
Usable area: 21,000 m²
Built area: 8,690 m²
Above-ground floors (average): max 14, /7-11/
Predominant floors?: 6-8
Area of underground floors: 43,000 m²
Area of above-ground floors: over 98,000 m²
Estimated investment value: 3.6 billion Sk

***** Hotel category
Area of above-ground floors: 17,000 m²
Accommodation capacity: 255
Number of beds: 455

Class A** Office spaces
Total area for rent: 29,000 m²
Number of parking spaces: 700

Luxury housing:
Total area (including communications): 43,000 m²
Number of apartments (rooms): 340 apartments
Number of parking spaces: 400

The success of Egeraat's studio lies, among other things, in the distrust of foreign investors in domestic architects. Companies like ING hire their own designers for their Eastern European projects. Czech architects do not provide many impulses to reverse this trend. Budapest, Warsaw, St. Petersburg, and soon Bratislava have their Angels and Dancing Houses. During our summer visit to the Netherlands, we saw several EEA projects with our own eyes. What they have in common is the effort to impress and the desire for uniqueness at any cost. The studio's work tends to fall into the curse of the present time: interestingly wrapping a functioning commercial scheme. They engaged in this game with all the skill and art of filters in Photoshop.