FAQ

The competition is open; participation in Stage 1 is open to both local and international architecture studios. (See Competition Conditions, chapter 4)

The competition has two stages. According to the jury’s decision, 5–7 participants will advance to Stage 2. Only the participants of Stage 2 will receive prizes and remunerations, in accordance with the Competition Conditions (chapter 13).

A participant may only be a business entity authorised to provide services of authorised architects or authorised civil engineers, or holding an equivalent authorisation/licence valid in the participant’s country of business. (See Competition Conditions, chapter 4)

At this stage, it is difficult to estimate when the transformation of Winter Harbour will begin. This step must be preceded by a series of complex urban planning and city regulatory processes.

Before construction of a new city district can commence, the current City Regulatory Plan of Bratislava for the area must first be amended. Under existing regulations, the Winter Harbour is designated for passenger and cargo port functions, as well as the redevelopment of related facilities. Any alternative use requires amendments to the regulatory plan, which have been requested by the majority owner, the Public Port company (Verejné prístavy a.s.), which falls under the Ministry of Transport

A major step in the process is the announcement of an international urban planning competition, the outcome of which will be a masterplan defining detailed parameters for the district’s future redevelopment. The aim is to obtain a high-quality proposal from the most experienced studios, which will serve as the basis for further agreements between the City and the site’s majority owner regarding the transformation of the area.

The process began with the preparation of the Vision for the Redevelopment of Winter Harbour, developed by the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava on behalf of the site owner, Public Port company (Verejné prístavy a.s.), in cooperation with the City of Bratislava and other partners and expert advisors. By request of the majority owner, this Vision has been submitted as the basis for the proposed amendments to the City Regulatory Plan and for the brief of the international urban design competition.

The Vision defines the framework for the future transformation of this exceptional site and establishes the principles guiding its development.

The shared goal of all stakeholders is to transform Winter Harbour into a modern, fully-fledged 21st-century urban district that preserves its unique character, reconnects with the river, and respects the historical industrial spirit of the area.

The Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava (MIB) is the organiser of the international urban planning competition.

The institute was involved in the preparatory phase of the project, which aimed to define, together with expert institutions and partners, the principles and rules for the future redevelopment of the area. The outcome of this work is the Vision for the future redevelopment of the site.

Together with the City of Bratislava, MIB’s role includes safeguarding the public interest and protecting the unique character of the area and its heritage assets.

Will the listed buildings and cranes in the area be preserved?

Winter Harbour includes exceptional cultural and industrial heritage, the preservation of which is essential to maintaining the distinctive character of the future urban district.

Individual listed structures—such as the Pumping Station (1904), the Boatmen’s House (1940), the oldest tugboat Šturec (1937), and the Ship Lift (1940)—together with the harbour cranes, form the unique genius loci of Winter Harbour. These historic and technical structures are an integral part of the area’s identity and also define the distinctive character of the future district.

The design approach to cultural heritage will be determined by the competition proposal, which will be reviewed after the competition also with this aspect in mind.

At this moment, precise details regarding transport design are unknown, since the transformation process of the Winter harbour will be preceded by the complex planning processes described on this website. The conceptual basis for transport is support of and preference of sustainable mobility. This means foremost good accessibility of public transport, sufficient network of pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, various traffic calming measures both inside and on the boarders of the site and support for shared mobility and electromobility.

The potential of the contact with water surfaces is a main potential of the site. This source can be utilised in various ways – via promenades, waterfronts or beaches. It is also possible to program active use of the water surface with a design of floating pontoons, city beaches or cultural venues on the water surface. Future use of Danube river will be more specified in the Masterplan.

Flood protection is one of the most critical aspects of this location. It has been addressed by flood protection experts from DHI Slovakia during the preparation of the redevelopment Vision. A comprehensive flood protection strategy was developed to ensure full protection of Winter Harbour as well as the surrounding parts of the city.

During both World War I and World War II, the port served as a base for naval military fleets and was part of defensive artillery and anti-tank systems. In the event of enemy threat, the area was intended to be destroyed. As a result, munitions deposited by the Soviet army remain under the water surface in the Harbour basins.

Prior to any construction activities in the Winter Harbour area, archaeological and pyrotechnical surveys of the basin floors will therefore be required.

At this stage, the most important step is to actively follow redevelopments related to the project, for example through these pages. Additionally, participatory activities are being planned to gather insights from both the professional and lay public, which should happen between the first and second round of the international master planning competition. The public will be notified of these activities soon.