The Culture House in Žiar nad Hronom was built as a Factory Club of the revolutionary trade union movement. The building was part of the extensive city development in the 1950s, which began with the establishment of the Slovak National Uprising Factory. The original village of Svätý Kríž was transformed into an industrial town built on the principles of socialist realism. The building of the factory club was designed as the dominant feature of an axially composed square in the middle of the residential area. The design of the building was commissioned in 1957 to the Regional Design Institute in Prague under the direction of architect Vlastibor Klimeš.
The architectural aspect of the building reflects the regime's preferred monumentalism of classicizing forms with elements of historicism. This corresponds to the strictly symmetrical composition, the pre-set colonnade on the main façade, the domed skylight above the staircase area, but also to the very traditional internal layout. The theatre hall is entered through the foyer via a pair of mirrored staircases. The hall is dominated by the distinctive curve of the balcony. The monolithic skeleton filled with brickwork is divided into three units, taking into account the different heights of the entrance, auditorium and stage. The building was later adapted for use as a private school and the small side halls, classrooms, club and library now serve as classrooms. During the renovation, the original plaster colour as well as the window articulation was altered.
Bibliography:
HOLICOVÁ, Katarína. Závodný klub ROH Partizán, študentská seminárna práca z predmetu Dejiny architektúry a urbanizmu IV. Fakulta architektúry a dizajnu STU, 2022
