The original headquarters of the District Committee of the Communist Party of Slovakia (OV KSS) in Prievidza was built to provide a new workplace for the increasing number of party officials in the district. Architect Rudolf Bizoň from Stavoprojekt Banská Bystrica was commissioned to design the building. In a relatively short construction period, which took only three years, distinctive architecture with a complex form was erected near the city centre on the main urban axis.
The building consists of an administrative section, which included not only the district party committee, but also the House of Political Education and the district committee of the Socialist Youth Union. The second part consists of a large meeting hall for 400 people and a small conference hall with a capacity of 100 seats. The two halls, with similar octagonal floor plans, are connected to the central administrative building by a link foyer.
Rather than choosing the principle of a single, merged mass of meeting rooms, the architect separated the mass of the two halls, which is also reflected in the exterior. The exterior of the administrative section features distinctive red-orange Hunter Douglas cladding. In contrast, the meeting halls are clad in light-coloured ceramic tiles. The interior features wooden wall panels, orange aluminium ceilings ‘Feal’, star-shaped acoustic ceilings, and stone floors and staircases. The large relief wall in the shape of an open book above the stage in the meeting hall is the dominant artistic element.
After 1989, the building served as a branch of the University of Žilina. Currently, only part of the administrative space is in use. Commercial extensions disrupt the mass on the north side. However, the building's exterior and interior have been preserved in nearly their original condition. The landscaping of the surrounding area and the accentuated main entrance, featuring a statue of a miner by Jaroslav Kubička, have also increased the value of the public space.
Bibliography:
Dobré podmienky pre činnosť. Smer: orgán Stredoslovenského KV KSS 38, 1986, 104, s. 1 – 2.
DROPPA, Virgil: Výtvarná tvorba v realizovaných architektonických dielach (1983-1988). Projekt 30, 1988, 8, s. 21.
MAGDOLENOVÁ, Jana: Revitalizácia budovy bývalého OV KSS, Prievidza. Bratislava. Diplomová práca. Slovenská technická univerzita v Bratislave, Fakulta architektúry a dizajnu, 2024.
