The Headquarters of Agrarian Bank was the first modern building on the main historical square of Žilina. The architects succeeded to convince the town representatives of their radical project only after some enforced modifications. Nevertheless, several principles of modern architecture like skeleton structure, free parterre, flat roof with roof terrace, open special plan and patented horizontal steel windows were applied on the realized building in the end. This radical modernity was accompanied by basically traditional travertine stone cladding. However, its smooth plain surface and modern detailing even increased the pure impression of the building. The conservative environment did not accept the radical modern solution. Already shortly after the opening the bank hall was divided into several offices and the whole building was pulled down in the year 1996. Desparterree this barbaric act the brave architecture of the Agrarian Bank belongs to the most outstanding works of Slovak modernism. The combination of radical purism, characteristic for the work of architects Weinwurm and Vécsei, and the traditional Slovak material travertine proofs not only the mastership of both architects but also the ability of modernism to use the tradition.
Bibliography:
Amts- und Wohngebäude der Wagtaler Agrar- und Gewerbebank in Žilina. Forum 1, 1931, s. / p. 283. Neue Bauten der Architekten Weinwurm und Vecsei, Pressburg. Wasmuth´s Monatshefte 15, 1931, s. / p. 449 – 453
Amts- und Wohngebäude der Waagtaler Agrar- und Gewerbebank in Žilina. Forum1, 1931, s. 283.
Fridrich Weinwurm – architekt novej doby. Katalóg. Ed. Štefan Šlachta. Bratislava, SAS 1993.
STOLIČNÁ, Elena – DULLA, Matúš: Banka na spadnutie. Historická revue 5, 1994, 7, s. 35 – 36.
DULLA, Matúš – MORAVČÍKOVÁ, Henrieta: Architektúra Slovenska v 20. storočí. Bratislava, Slovart 2002. 512 s.
Architektúra na Slovensku. Stručné dejiny. Ed. Henrieta Moravčíková. Bratislava, Slovart 2005. 184 s., tu s. 147.
Považská agrárna a priemyselná banka. DOCOMOMO národný register: Slovensko. Architektúra & urbanizmus 40, 2006, 3 – 4, s. XXV.
ANDRÁŠIOVÁ, Katarína – DULLA, Matúš – MORAVČÍKOVÁ, Henrieta – SZALAY, Peter – TOPOLČANSKÁ, Mária. Travertine Modernism. In Docomomo Journal 2007, 36, s. 91 – 93
