Located southeast of Bratislava’s city center, connected by tram and bus networks, Sky Park is expected to redevelop an industrial area of the Slovakian capital. This design by Zaha Hadid Architects converts an abandoned site into a thriving center with a new 20,000 square meter public park, three residential buildings containing over 700 apartments, as well as office and retail space.

At the core of the new park is the decommissioned heating plant designed by architect Dušan Jurkovič, whose aesthetic combined folk art with modernist trends. The heating plant dates from 1941; it was slated to be demolished before being purchased by Penta. The plant is now listed as a national monument; its façades will be restored as part of the Sky Park development.

The design, selected by the jury in 2010, opens the site to the public. The park includes playgrounds, an amphitheater, picnic sites, running tracks, a sports field, a dedicated zone for dogs, and an orchard. “Sky Park is an important link between Bratislava’s contemporary culture, emerging nature and history,” said Patrik Schumacher, principal of Zaha Hadid Architects.

Almost 60% of the apartments within Sky Park have sold since becoming available earlier this month. Two office buildings will be constructed in the second phase of the project, the first of which has already received planning permission. A ceremony to lay the foundational stone of Sky Park marked the start of its construction. The project’s preparatory works began earlier this year. The first phase is anticipated to reach completion in late 2019.

Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia, occupying both banks of the River Danube and the left bank of the River Morava, bordering Austria and Hungary. The cityscape is characterized by medieval towers, grand 20th-century buildings, and baroque palaces (including the Grassalkovich Palace, built around 1760, now the residence of the president).

Much of the city’s existing housing has been ‘paneláks,’ rapidly constructed during the postwar housing shortage. However, in the early 21st century, new edifices have transformed the traditional cityscape, and a construction boom has spawned new public structures.