Benthem Crouwel design lively new district for historic city centre

Florian Residence 1 has completed in Bratislava, marking the first finished building of a major residential development. Tenderstream member Benthem Crouwel was commissioned by Alto Real Estate to design the ensemble, transforming a previously neglected site in the historic city centre into a lively new district.

Located near the National Bank of Slovakia, the 8-storey building includes 73 homes, a light-filled atrium, and an inviting entrance. Florian Residence 1 is the first developer-led residential project in Bratislava with a positive energy balance, powered by a 100-metre-deep geothermal well. 

Looking ahead, a total of five residential buildings will be constructed in three phases, each with public ground floors that together help to form a diverse community. The overall design was created in response to the city’s varied architecture, façade rhythm, and rich colour palette. A subdued architectural language is shared across the complex, while each building has its own character. Distinguished by a façade of dark green Italian natural stone, Florian Residence 1 sits directly on a lively street and has a distinctly urban character, including space for retail and hospitality on the ground floor. 

Across the entire site, the ensemble’s façade is conceived as a unified whole, layered in appearance, and carefully detailed with horizontal and vertical elements. Loggias provide residents with a pleasant outdoor space, while also introducing rhythm and depth into the façades. The loggia balustrades create an engaging interplay between privacy and transparency.

With the first building completed and fully sold out, construction on the second phase is already underway. This phase consists of two new buildings with a total of 223 homes, set slightly further back from the road and grouped around a shared garden for tranquillity and privacy. The third phase, comprising another two residential buildings, is currently in the design stage.

Lucy Nordberg
Tenderstream Head of Research

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