The winning design of renewed Grössling bathhouse by OPPS Architettura (source: Courtesy of MIB)
Read this story for more about:
The history of the Grössling bathhouse
What principles the refurbishing will follow and what the bathhouse will look like
Why so many international architects applied to the competition
When the refurbished bathhouse will open and what it will offer
Zuzana Benková belongs to the lucky generation of Bratislavans who experienced bathing in the iconic Grössling bathhouse. When she attended the nearby secondary technical school on Fajnorovo Nábrežie embankment in the 1980s, her class would take physical education classes in the historical building.
“By then, Grössling had already been in decline, but it still had, without a doubt, its charm," said the 50-year-old Benková. "I do hope that the planned refurbishment will preserve its spirit or even elevate this venue to a higher level.”
Bratislava authorities will restore the legendary bathhouse based on the winning design of the architectural studio OPPS architettura from Florence, Italy.
The jury chose the project from a competition of almost 80 designs as the one, which best responds to the city’s requirements of turning the bathhouse into a place where people can socialise as well as bathe and swim.
“For us, this is the result of almost two years of work; for the inhabitants, this is point zero, when they finally get to see some pictures,” said Bratislava Mayor Matúš Vallo when presenting the winning project in early November 2020.
The city now has almost a year-and-a-half to design the refurbishment in details and obtain the permits to be followed by restoration and construction works.
