One of the most important phases of construction in the High Tatras was the period of preparation for hosting the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 1970. The planning of this event stimulated and accelerated already existing development plans.
Hotels of a higher category were in short supply, as they had hardly been built in the Tatras until the 1970s. The only exceptions were the Grandhotel in Tatranská Lomnica and in Starý Smokovec. A competition for the design of a new Category A hotel at Štrbské Pleso had already been held in 1958–1959. The hotel was intended to be located on the dam of the frontal moraine, on the site of the former Hviezdoslav and Kriváň hotels. However, this location was ultimately deemed unsuitable, and the competition results were not realized.
The new hotel was finally constructed between 1968 and 1973 according to the design of Brno-based architect Zdeněk Řihák from the State Institute for Commercial Design, on the opposite moraine of the lake, in its northern part. Řihák also designed the Panorama Hotel at Štrbské Pleso. At the time of their completion, both buildings were highly controversial; the Slovak architectural community criticized them for their excessive scale and perceived them as an unnecessary display of the architect’s ambition in an exceptionally valuable natural environment.
On the contrary, the architect, in good faith, concentrated the required accommodation capacity into the silhouette of an irregular triangle. This concept was based on the fundamental idea of covering the entire structure with a single gabled roof, which would drain rainwater directly to the ground without the use of gutters. Two of the four façades thus form the roof envelope of the 12-storey accommodation section. On the southern side, a lower annex adjoins the main volume, housing service facilities and the Sun Restaurant. The building employed a progressive steel structure, executed by Hutné stavby from Košice and Hutné montáže from Ostrava. Originally, the building was clad in wood and stone.
In terms of spatial organization, the architect focused on creating unique views. The entire entrance and public area on the ground floor is glazed, allowing for direct views of the lake. An even better vantage point was offered by the Horizont day bar on the 9th floor. The main social spaces were oriented around a single central motif, which was reflected in their artistic design. The Sun Restaurant was dominated by a monumental ceramic relief of the sun, the reception area featured flowing water as its central element, and the symbol of the Vatra night bar was fire in an open fireplace.
Additional facilities, including an indoor swimming pool and wellness areas, were later added to the hotel. During reconstruction, the building lost not only aspects of its original form but also the material character of its façade.
author of the description: Monika Bočková
Bibliography:
MERJAVÝ, Pavol - ŘIHÁK, Zdeněk: Hotel Patria - nová, hoci diskutabilná dominanta Štrbského Plesa. Projekt 1978, roč. 20, č. 9-10, s. 16-19.
BAHNA, Ján: Čo nám navrhli českí architekti v oblasti občianskej výstavby. Projekt 1980, roč. 22, č. 8, s. 26 — 28.
KOS, Lukáš: Zdeněk Řihák´s Hotel Building and the State Project Institute of Trade Brno. Architektúra & urbanizmus 2021, roč. 55, č. 1 — 2, s. 46 — 59.
OHRABLO, František: Rekonštrukcia strešného plášta interhotela Patria. Projekt 1988, roč. 30, č. 9, s. 48-49.
ŠLACHTA, Štefan: Kritika. Projekt 1974, roč. 16, č. 9, s. 55.
KRIVOŠOVÁ, Janka - LUKÁČOVÁ, Elena: Premeny súčasnej architektúry Slovenska. Bratislava: Alfa, 1990, s. 124.
