Design of Komenského Square as proposed by Totalstudio architects. (source: Courtesy of Totalstudio)
Until the 1970s, there used to be a small park on Komenského Square behind the Slovak National Theatre in the very centre of Bratislava. But after the theatre was given an extension, the park was paved over and turned into a car park.
Lost in Bratislava? Impossible with this City Guide! (source: Spectacular Slovakia)
Last year, however, Bratislava city council decided to turn the car park back into a park.
It banned parking in the square and ran a survey asking people what they would like to be there instead of the car park.
Subsequently, it launched a landscape-architectural competition for the restoration of the square.
But architects entering the competition faced the challenges of not only meeting public demands for more greenery and places to sit, but in particular the fact that garages which had been built under part of the square reduced its load-bearing capacity.
