Wien | Bratislava: Studio in a water basin tower
Architects: Martin Kusý, Pavol Paňák
Investor: Martin Kusý, Pavol Paňák
Project: 2000 – 2004
Realized: 2008
Useful floor area: 420m2
Costs: unspecified
The water basin tower was built as part of the Dynamit-Nobel factory at the beginning of the 20th century. During World War II, it was used as a bomb shelter. The tower is a monolithic, steel concrete skeleton, which supports the massive head of a water container wrapped in a double steel concrete envelope. The architects situated their studio right in the head. When reconstructing this remarkable technical object, they respected its original construction and material aspects. They made easily distinguishable the alterations necessary for the introduction of a new function into the historical substance. The floors of three storeys of an architects’ studio were inserted into the basin’s interior space on wooden decks. Each of the two layers of the external envelope was perforated differently. The openings in the outer envelope correspond with the lighting requirements of the individual offices. However, the inner envelope was perforated in accordance with the basin’s basic geometry. Although the water basin is not a conservation site, its reconstruction is an excellent example of dealing with historical artefacts in a proper way.
