In December of last year, the renovated premises of the Slovak National Gallery in Bratislava were ceremonially opened. Considering that the modern Bridge of the historical building of the former Water Barracks from the 1970s was closed to the public for almost 21 years due to emergency reasons, it is a significant event from the cultural and social point of view of Slovakia. Although the gallery does not yet offer visitors the entire extensive collection of art from its depository, a visit to its modernized premises is nevertheless an interesting experience.
The Slovak National Gallery was established by a law of the Slovak National Council from 1948 and was officially opened after the reconstruction of the Water Barracks building by the architects František Florians and Karol Rozmány in 1955. But already in the 1970s it became clear that the barracks' space did not meet the needs of the gallery, and so it was tender for its completion. At that time, the controversial design of the bridge by architect Vladimír Dedeček won. An administrative building, an amphitheater and a library also became part of the new campus. Unfortunately, this iconic project was not completed in full, as the demolition of two residential houses on the land where the entrance to the gallery was planned could not be enforced. The architects of the current reconstruction, Martin Kusý and Pavol Paňák, had to redefine the spatial solution of this cultural institution. First of all, they had to solve the location of the main entrance so that it corresponds to the parameters of the large galleries. They managed to find it in the northern wing of the Water Barracks in the direction of the historic city center. The authors carved an entrance portal into the facade and covered it with massive concrete, creating a dignified and relatively spacious impression in the entrance foyer. The largest newly built exhibition space is the so-called Great Hall – a modern atrium with a glass ceiling, which was created on the site originally intended for a library and summer cinema. The interior of the large hall is decorated with the preserved facade of the Water Barracks with large window openings. When passing through the modernized Bridge with a wooden floor, the visitor will be attracted at first sight by the views built on both sides with a view of the panorama of the Danube River with the possibility of sitting. This also gave the gallery the dimension of a tourist attraction, which is a common trend in exhibition halls around the world today. In the lower part of the building, right behind the cash desk and a small shop, there is an open cafe with a view of the courtyard, which looks clean and cozy after the renovation. The entrance to the underground premises of the library, which will also serve as a public reading room, is located in the courtyard in the area under the Bridge. According to the current director of SNG Alexandra Kusej, the largest art library in Slovakia should be created there by combining the book collection of the University of Fine Arts in Bratislava and the Slovak National Gallery. As far as the art collection is concerned, the visitor probably won't get his way yet, because most of the exhibition halls are still empty and will be filled gradually. But today you can already see there a hint of a kind of concept of dialogue between modern and old art, where alongside paintings by authors such as Andrej Dúbravský, Ester Šimerová – Martinčeková, sculptural objects by contemporaries such as Štefana Papčo, Jana Želibská or installations by Stanislav Filek or Emöka Vargová, paintings are placed and sculptures of authors from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. The Slovak National Gallery has ambitions, in addition to presenting our cultural heritage, to also become a pleasant space for spending free time, which would certainly be a suitable and non-violent way to attract visitors repeatedly. And the newly opened building certainly has the parameters to fulfill this goal.
Text and photo: Vladimír Dubeň