Futuristic monuments. Massive concrete landmarks. UFO-shaped structures. Experimental housing projects. And architecture that still looks like it belongs in an alternative version of the future.
I wasn't expecting to find any of this in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia right in Central / Eastern Europe.
But somewhere between inverted pyramids, brutalist hotels, futuristic market halls and monumental public buildings, Slovakia's capital became one of the most surprising cities I've explored in years.
Just one hour from Vienna, Bratislava is home to an extraordinary collection of socialist modernism, brutalism and post-war architecture that still feels remarkably bold today.
In this video, we explore the UFO Bridge, Hotel Kyjev, the Slovak Radio Building, Tržnica Market Hall, UFO Medzijarky, the National Archives, Hotel SUZA, Incheba and many other remarkable buildings from a period when architects, engineers and urban planners were given the freedom to think big.
What surprised me most was how contemporary many of these places still feel. Some of the interiors, furniture, materials and design concepts could easily be mistaken for something designed today.
A special thank you to the creators of East Modern for allowing me to feature several rare interior photographs in this video. The images, taken by photographer Hertha Hurnaus, provide a glimpse into spaces that most visitors never get to see today, including Hotel Kyjev and the Slovak Radio Building.
I also used historical images from the book Plattenbauten to illustrate the development of Bratislava's housing estates and urban landscape during the socialist period.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:41 UFO SNP bridge
01:46 Hotel Kiyev
03:36 Slovak Radio
05:10 UFO Medzijarky
05:52 Tržnica market
08:25 Union Fountain
08:46 University STU Mosaic
09:20 “Retro” Hotel SUZA
10:07 My Hotel Room at SUZA
11:52 Conference Rooms at SUZA
13:15 Brutalist Apartment Building
14:14 Slovak Nationa Theatre (rear)
14:21 University STU Mosaic / Mural at Chemistry Faculty
15:24 Slovak National Archives
17:21 Union Trade House (demolished)
17:58 Mosaic At Šnop Hospital
18:26 Slovak Television Building
19:11 Triumphal Arch Foundation Stone Harbor Bridge
19:41 Industrial Complex City Center
20:05 INCHEBA Expo Buidling
21:09 Sculpture Tribute to the Danube
21:56 Outro
All other photographs and video footage are my own unless stated otherwise.
Transparency note: My stay at Hotel SUZA was paid entirely by myself. This video is not sponsored, and no location, institution or organisation had any editorial influence on the content.
Bratislava is often overshadowed by larger and more famous cities in Central Europe. Hopefully this video shows why it deserves far more attention, not only as the capital of Slovakia, but also as one of Europe's most fascinating destinations for anyone interested in modernism, brutalism and architectural history.
Thank you for watching.
Sources vintage photos:
mage source: Kapeller, Vera (ed.) (2009). Plattenbausiedlungen: Erneuerung des baukulturellen Erbes in Wien und Bratislava. Stuttgart: Fraunhofer IRB Verlag.
Image source: Hurnaus, Hertha; Konrad, Benjamin; Novotny, Maik (2007). Eastmodern: Architecture and Design of the 1960s and 1970s in Slovakia. Vienna/New York: Springer Vienna. Photographs by Hertha Hurnaus.
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