The construction of film studios has been a topic of discussion within the Slovak film community since the early 1950s. In fact, there is a story that the renowned actor and director Paľo Bielik, the founder of Slovak cinema, lobbied for their construction. The first design for film production facilities in Bratislava was created in the early 1950s by the design department of Štátny film in Prague. The first two studios were built according to this design. Several temporary technical buildings were also erected at the same time. In 1957, the Czech studio designed a project for film laboratories, which were completed in the northern part of the site in the early 1960s. Meanwhile, work had already begun on a significant expansion of the film studio complex at Stavoprojekt in Bratislava. Although these were probably never built, architects Ferdinand Milučký and Stanislav Talaš designed several buildings. The requirements relating to new technologies and film production processes led to a reassessment of the master plan and the creation of a new project: the so-called 'overall solution'. This was drawn up by architect Pavol Ondreička and engineer Hviezdoslav Herman, who were employed directly by Filmová tvorba a distribúcia Bratislava Koliba. This proposal partly determined the basic layout of the complex's operations and probably also influenced the design of the north wing of the main building. Štefan Štempák and Ivan Marko were also involved in designing the extension to the film studios. However, only the garages featuring Kopilit glazing on the western side of the site were constructed in accordance with their plans. From 1972 onwards, Jozef Lacko’s studio at ŠPTÚ was responsible for the final design of the extension and unification of the entire complex. This design ultimately gave the site its current appearance.
Construction of the complex in Bratislava’s Koliba district took three decades to complete. The distinct architectural forms of the individual buildings still bear the mark of this lengthy construction period. The former laboratory building, which was later converted into a cultural centre, is notable for its sensitive integration into the landscape, symmetrical composition, and delicately textured façade. However, the most striking building is the monoblock that houses the main creative activities. This building integrates three large-scale studios, an assembly hall, production workshops and offices. Its structural system consists of a standardised concrete skeleton supplemented by steel trusses in the large spaces. The façades are clad in agglomerated stone.
The film studio complex is located high above the city, on the edge of a municipal forest park. It is this location that has made the horizontally structured silhouette of the main building's iconic form an integral part of the Bratislava skyline to this day.
Bibliography:
Slameň, Ivan: Dostavba filmových ateliérov na bratislavskej Kolibe. Slovo autorov. Projekt 25, 1983, č. 3., s. 30-31.
Struhař, Jozef: Dostavba filmových ateliérov na bratislavskej Kolibe. Dominantný monoblok komplexu. Projekt 25, 1983, č. 3., s. 31-37.
