Ytong. Ytong. Ytong… in the multifunctional building Tatra Centrum in the center of Martin

The guide to the newly built multifunctional building Tatra centrum on Bernolákova Street in Martin could feel like Zdeněk Srstka with his immortal catchphrase from the film "Dissolved and Released." While the film had ducks everywhere, the new building literally has Ytong everywhere.

The new multifunctional building was constructed under the direction of the investor, TATRA CENTRUM, s.r.o., in a location where the company Tatranábytok operated in the second half of the 20th century, at that time the largest Slovak manufacturer of chairs. The history of Tatranábytok began at the end of the 19th century, but the social changes in 1989 significantly influenced economic life in Martin as well. One of the many consequences was the end of chair production and the decline of the famous manufacturer in 2010. However, the attractive location in the city center, in close proximity to the shopping center, the Business Academy, University Hospital, and SNP Square, did not have to fear for its future. One of the proofs of this is the new multifunctional building Tatra centrum, which replaced the original old tenement house in the area. Construction of the building began in September 2015 and lasted approximately two years. From the perspective of a "builder" and investor, the structure is interesting because it is "completely" constructed from Ytong materials.

Ing. arch. Dušan Holan, managing director and owner of TATRA CENTRUM, had years of experience with Ytong materials and a very positive attitude towards the material itself. He was not only in the role of investor for the new building but also the project author, utilizing all the advantages of the Ytong system solution. "I advocate for it everywhere because it is universal and really easy to work with." says Dušan Holan. The effort to minimize thermal bridges was related to the need to build a residential building belonging to the category with nearly zero energy needs (class A0). "Everything in the house is made from Ytong material – except for the glass." he adds with a smile, Ing. arch. Dušan Holan.

Column blocks had a Czechoslovak premiere in Martin
For example, the front facade of the building features column blocks Ytong, which the investor used for the first time in the territory of former Czechoslovakia. "Originally, our structural engineer insisted that it was not possible to use them for a four-story building; because of this, I considered reducing the height by one floor, but even then, it didn't work out for him. That seemed odd to me since, according to Ytong's documentation, it should not be a problem. Therefore, we requested another structural engineer for a review, and he confirmed that, of course, it was indeed possible even with four floors." explains the investor's managing director Ing. arch. Dušan Holan.

Ytong products on the walls, ceilings, and roof of the building
Standard YTONG Standard P2-400 blocks with a wall thickness of 300 mm were used for the exterior walls, while the first floor features thermal insulating Ytong Lambda YQ P2-300 blocks with a wall thickness of 450 mm. The range of Ytong also includes lintels and UPA profiles, and additionally, there are Ytong ceiling panels on the roof as well as Ytong Komfort ceilings on the northern side. "I have a massive Ytong roof on my family house, and I have long appreciated its protection against overheating the interior. Even in the role of the investor for the apartment building, Ytong materials were a great choice for me – as an investor, you have access to a comprehensive and systematic solution with simple and quick installation and excellent parameters. The whole house can be built from one material, and if the implementing company adheres to the established technological procedures, the investor receives a statically solid house, without the risk of cracks and with excellent thermal insulation properties." explains the reasons for using one material throughout the house Ing. arch. Dušan Holan.

Ytong was fully utilized in the interior of the multifunctional building
In addition to the wall blocks, interior plasters, and smooth coatings with extra smooth surfaces made of Ytong, there are also stair steps in the building, which the investor appreciated for their easy installation and immediate usability. The residents benefit from the smooth finish and its appearance, but Eng. arch. Dušan Holan also had a reason for its use: "We liked the easy reparability; that was the main reason for us. Therefore, we also considered gypsum plasters, but when Mr. Mitický from Ytong offered us this product, the choice was clear."

The advantages of the Ytong system solution in the Martin multifunctional building are summarized by Ing. Slavomír Mitický, professional advisor for designers from Xella Slovensko, spol. s r.o.: "In the design phase, we were able to gradually connect all the elements of the Ytong building system with the project author – from the first masonry row of blocks to the realization of the sloping roof using the Ytong Komfort system. All products have the same material composition, ensuring maximum compatibility of all building elements and their future behavior, for example in terms of volumetric changes. The materials will behave the same, and thus problems caused by the use of different construction systems with differing properties will not arise in the building. The role of support from Xella from the project to realization is also significant, where the investor communicated the entire construction with one technical advisor, and all material deliveries or non-standard requests on the site were handled with one sales representative. The building received maximum support from Xella and Ytong products, including specific people who were helpful up until the realization of the last elements of our system. In this specific case, these were Ytong plasters."