The architecture in Piešťany

Despite the fact that Piešťany violates all urban planning principles, it functions very well as a city. The foundation laid by the Winter family, when they gave space to the best contemporary architects, continued even after World War II. The people of Piešťany can be proud of the House of Art, the Colonnade, and the row housing behind the Váh Basin building.
All this and much more was learned by the cyclists who came on the afternoon of September 30th to the statue of the Cane-breaker. For the next two hours, they listened to the expert observations of architects Mária Topolčanská and Martina Kárová. On the occasion of Architecture Day, which we commemorate on October 1st, a cycling tour of remarkable architectural works took place in Piešťany.
There could be no better starting point than the Colonnade Bridge. The design by Emil Belluš attracted the attention of the professional public across Europe at the time of its creation due to its significance. Besides him, the Winter family invited the authors of the villas on the waterfront, which are examples of interwar avant-garde architecture.
Attendees also learned that the House of Art was originally supposed to be located between the Fontána cinema and the Colonnade. Its current location, according to Mária Topolčanská, showcases this original example of Brutalism much better.
The experts also focused on the row housing of atrium houses behind the Váh Basin building. Mária Kárová stated that similar buildings are currently being constructed in Nordic countries, meaning this neighborhood was ahead of its time in a way.
The residential complex dominated by the Colonnade achieves the quality of the Bratislava neighborhood called Februárka. The Post Office building by Emil Belluš is also indispensable. One of the last stops was a multifunctional building by Norbert Šmondrek near the Military Spa Institute, which is the best local building from the turn of the millennium and relates to current European trends in architecture. The cycling tour could not overlook the works of Piešťany native Pavol Weisz. One of them is the Eden Hotel. The event concluded at the Country Bridge with reflections from Martina Kárová about its expansion, which would be a more effective and functional alternative to the planned southern bridge over the Váh.



Architecture Day is organized by the civic association Kruh, which has been dedicated to promoting architecture since 2001.