Urban Oasis

A city in a forest / a forest in a city

GROSS.MAX. in collaboration with Stefano Boeri Architects won the international competition organised by Penta Real Estate for the redevelopment of a 3 ha former industrial site near the Danube River in downtown Bratislava. The project - titled “Urban Oasis” creates a mixed urban development centered around a central park core. The proposal optimizes the conditions of the site, including natural light, humidity, wind exposure, ensuring a balanced micro-climate to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The location of Bratislava at the centre of Europe makes it an important intersection between various plant communities on the move due to climate change. We envisage our site as a refuge for this ‘diaspora’ of biodiversity, an experiment of inviting nature as integral to contemporary urban living. The perimeter building block embraces this inner sanctum of condensed and intensified nature. The living amongst a contemporary arboretum of trees celebrates the unique quality of Bratislava as city in a forest. The trees represent various temperate part of the world and are specifically selected for their prospect to flourish in anticipated climate change conditions. The site is organised as a stratified landscape; the ground plane visually extends with balconies, sky terraces and green roofs blending architecture and nature into a panoramic skyline.   A strategic positioned tower terminates the main ‘catwalk’ axis and becomes an iconic landmark.