The construction of the new bus station ranked among the most pressing urban investments of the 1970s. At the Bratislava-based design institute Dopravoprojekt, the commission was entrusted to the architect Valéria Triznová. The new bus station, located on the edge of the city centre, was intended to concentrate both long-distance and regional services operated by ČSAD.
During the lengthy preparatory phase, the client repeatedly revised the project documentation, resulting in several alternative design studies. Ultimately, the station was realized in a reduced form, conceived as a system of essential minimum requirements. The station building and the cascade-roofed platforms were therefore designed in a rational manner. Particular emphasis was placed on the segregation of passenger flows—arriving and departing passengers moved on two distinct vertical levels. An elevated corridor led from the station concourse to a total of 38 boarding platforms. In contrast, 10 alighting platforms were situated at ground level and directly connected to pedestrian routes.
The station building was designed to accommodate 40,000 to 50,000 passengers per day. Following its opening in 1983, it housed, in addition to the main concourse, a self-service buffet, a barbershop, a post office, and rest areas for passengers and drivers. The bus station operated continuously for nearly 35 years. During this period, it did not undergo any major renovation, which—despite the use of durable materials—negatively affected its technical condition. The building was demolished in 2018, with only the artwork in front of the station preserved—a sculptural ČSAD sign by the sculptor Juraj Meliš. Today, the site of the former station is occupied by a large shopping complex, with bus transport accommodated within an underground level.
author of the description: Monika Bočková
Bibliography:
TRIZNOVÁ, Valéria: Autobusová stanica ČSAD v Bratislave. Projekt 1973, roč. 15, č. 6, s. 24–25.
Autobusová stanica ČSAD v Bratislave. Projekt 1979, roč. 21, č. 2, s. 24-25.
Autobusová stanica ČSAD v Bratislave. Projekt 1983, roč. 25, č. 10, s. 2, 51.
