GFI: Winner of World Design Awards 2024. The location within the city structure where Eurovea TOWER is located is an important urban point. City of Bratislava has historically been turned away from its phenomen – the river Danube, for the fear of flooding, but today the city is coming back to the river and getting to use all its benefits. Eurovea TOWER is situated at the intersection of 2 major urban axis that connect serious valuable urban spaces and institutions and that terminate on the bank of Danube.  

The aim was to design the first Slovak skyscraper in this valuable urban area, which will elevaluate the importance of the place.

The impact / influence of the project on the city and its community

Eurovea TOWER (residential tower) is part of the EUROVEA – mixed-use complex, which combines shopping, residential and office space. The urban relations predetermined the shape of the Tower.

The urban connection of the 3 main streets in the cityscape predetermined the triangular foodprint of the Eurovea skyscaper. Shaping the building was an architectural challenge not only because of awareness being the benchmark for the future high-rise buildings to be built in Slovakia, but above all because of its location directly on the Danube riverbank.

In the past, there were only low pavilions of warehouses on waterfront. The only one majestic building on the Danube embankment was the Bratislava castle towering on the cliff. Eurovea TOWER with its height slightly exceeds the niveau of the castle and creates a spatial inverse to it.

The soft lines that form the shape og the tower create a contrast to the grandeur of the rough lines of the castle cliff and the strict square geometry of the bratislava castle.

Undoubtedly, the Eurovea TOWER has become a new symbol of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, and positively shapes the new skyline of the city, complementing the familiar landmarks of the city.

The new symbol of the city

Bratislava has for long period been known as a suburb, periphery of the Austrian capital Vienna and cannot compete with it. Eurovea TOWER become a symbol for Bratislava as an emerging modern city with the ambitions to be recognized as the modern European metropolis. Eurovea TOWER completes the silhouette of the city in all its significant views, has become a landmark of the city’s new downtown, and has launched efforts to complete the new modern city centre of Bratislava.

The function

The design comprises a compact, 168m high tower, animated by the surrounded balconies with unique designed cornice / architrave and vertical fins elements which give the building an exclusive vertical flow. Eurovea TOWER accommodates almost 400 flats for residents. The base of the tower has a residential lobby and café, adjacent to the river bank. Health centre located on the ground floor of the adjacent building is particulary submerged with tower.

The approach was to create a valuable public space that would be in harmony with the design of the tower itself and with the Eurovea city as well.  The scheme aims to enhance the immediate local environment and to act as a catalyst for the wider revitalisation of former brownfields.

The construction

Eurovea TOWER with its 46 floors reaches a height of 168 m. Due to the immediate presence of the water flow from the river Danube and the specific geological subsoil on the movable gravel, it required a specific approach to the foundation, which has not been implemented in Slovakia so far. It was necessary to create a solid foundation – the thickest foundation slab in Slovakia so far – 3 m thick, supported by a dense network of piles at a depth of more than 30m.

The corners of the triangular floorplan allowed to locate the larger flats with possibility of panoramic views across the city of Bratislava. Therefore it was crucial to ensure that the vertical structural elements were as thin as possiblein these locations, despite the highest static load, with the intention of providing the uninterrupted views for the future residents. Corner posts are a highly advanced solution. The high-strength steel is interlocked with a reinforced concrete fire-resistant casing in a circular shape.

Reinforced concrete ceiling slabs – in some places with a span more than 10 m, were filled with plastic spheres to lighten up the load of the concrete.

Project Details:-
Firm
GFI

Architect
Katarina Jägrová

Project Name
EUROVEA TOWER

Project Category
High-Rise Architecture Built

Team
GFI, a.s.

Project Location
Bratislava

Country
Slovakia

Photography ©Credit
Adam Kováč

We are a dedicated team of architects, designers, and engineers, creating impactful projects since 1996. Our work shapes valuable, sustainable spaces for the future, from the initial concept to the final realization. Combining innovation with experience, we consistently push industry standards, delivering unique and functional solutions. Every project reflects our commitment to quality, aesthetics, and sustainability, ensuring a lasting positive impact on both living and working environments. Through creativity and professionalism, we aim to enhance everyday life and set new benchmarks in the world of architecture.

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