The mayor of Bratislava: What is the Czechoslovak bench and what can we inspire Prague with?
We walked around Prague and showed each other how the metropolis has changed in recent years. The small group was led by Ondřej Boháč, director of the Institute of Planning and Development, we walked through inconspicuous passages – for example, the one between Opatovicka and Spálena, we admired one of the simplest and most efficient traffic arrangements, which are adapted for personal non-motorized transport, but the main guest was Matúš Vallo. Graduated architect of more than 90 projects to improve public space in 20 Czech and Slovak cities and author0, for PrahaIN, about the relationship between the city of Bratislava, about the cultivation of the city’s image, the demolition of old and the construction of new buildings, and also about what it’s like when a rock musician becomes the mayor of the Slovak capital.
A while ago, when we were talking on the way, you said that Bratislava has always learned from Prague. I am convinced that we learn from each other – could you give an example of such cooperation?
You are right, for many reasons, not only historical, we are very close. The fact that our cooperation is going well is due to the people – and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Zdenek Hřib as the mayor of Prague and Petar Hlaváček, who is in charge of territorial development. We also have wonderful mutual relations thanks to you and your people. The advantage of the younger brother is that he can learn from the older one, and we do that at Prague. Following the model of IPR, we founded the Metropolitan Institute of Bratislava, thanks to which we hold architectural competitions in Bratislava, today we have completed 14 of them. We created a manual for participation, we set public sector standards and many other things.
The Bratislava-Prague bench is also a great concrete case. Years ago, Prague organized a design competition for it, and when we dealt with a similar issue, I remembered it. So I met with the guys from the Institute of Planning and Development in Prague, and the next day I called Mayor Hřib to see if they would donate the design of the bench to us. Half a year later, the Prague council voted and we actually received the bench as a gift. And I was a big fan of it long before, it has the nobility of the First Republic benches and at the same time it is a beautiful modern Czechoslovak design. We now have a thousand of them in Bratislava and more are on the way. It is a beautiful example of friendship between two cities, it will probably never be anywhere else. It is a beautiful symbolic gesture that people enjoy. That bench is very nice, and above all it is comfortable – that’s actually the most important thing, let’s never forget that.
And what could Prague be inspired by in Bratislava?
Maybe the speed of change, maybe a little work with the spatial plan. We have defined the approval processes in the council for acquiring apartments from developers, by which we are changing the spatial planning system. It is an innovative and daring thing, even by European standards.
I was interested in the manual for creating public space. How should the city regulate its form? Does advertising belong in the city?
It’s quite simple. I have lived in many cities, and I move around even more cities now as mayor. It’s actually a relief for me to be in another city, because now every problem, every bent lamp doesn’t fall on me! They are very inspired and take notes.
We managed to make city companies more transparent. Hundred million companies, which were the source of extreme theft of money from the budget of the city and its residents, are profitable for the first time in history.
And as for outdoor advertising: I am glad that we managed to reach an agreement with the billboard companies, where we set a clear regulation together. It is now under control and both sides benefit from it.
You are a trained architect. How do you view the eternal conflict of preservation of historical heritage vs. the development of a modern city? It’s clear that a city can’t keep growing in width – something has to come down to build something new. On the one hand, there are developers who prefer to build apartments and city parks, on the other hand, traditionalists who prefer to preserve the historical form of the capital forever. But where is the border?
Let’s look at history. In cities, buildings are torn down and new ones are built. The historical cores of cities are rare and sometimes even untouchable – because there we will see the passage of time, that is the history we want to preserve. But that does not mean that modern architecture cannot also be created in the center. I personally prefer the old-for-new approach as well, I’m totally in love with it. There is strength in simplicity and demolition is the ultimate option.
Every mayor evaluates at the end of his election term, even if only for himself: ok, I succeeded in this, I will pass this on, or I would like to do it in the next term… What did you manage to complete and what will be done in the next election term period?
These elections will be about whether we will keep what we have gained in Bratislava and whether Bratislava will continue in the direction of a modern European city – or whether the old days of inattention and corruption will return. We managed to attract many quality people to work for Bratislava. Volunteers work for Bratislava who would not have worked for Bratislava under the previous city leadership. We have a great team, which is extremely important, because without a team, only great things can happen.
I am glad that we have succeeded in making city companies more transparent. Waste disposal, the Bratislava water company, the transport company, these are the hundred million companies that were the source of extreme theft of money from the budget of the city and its residents. We have transparently changed management in all companies and are saving tens of percent of costs – in the Bratislava transport company it is 26%, which is money that would be stolen. And those companies are profitable for the first time in history. We have a public space management manual, we’ve planted a lot of trees, and what’s next? The long-term project is the relocation of underground networks.
I am also glad that we managed to overcome historical grievances. The most beautiful park in Bratislava is called Sad Janka Kráľa, and right in the middle of the park there was a brothel! We managed to buy the building and today we are converting it into a family restaurant. Or we acquired the pharmacy at Salvátor, which is a beautiful baroque Jesuit pharmacy that operated for 104 years until the revolution. Well, now the pharmacy will return there together with the Slovak Pharmacy Chamber. These were all such small Bratislava traumas, but then there are projects aimed at the future, for example over the four-lane road between the city and the castle.
When I look at the pre-election polls in Prague, they are significantly different from the national ones. I assume that it will be similar in Slovakia. In what way are you, from the position of the mayor of the capital, who must, whether he likes it or not, stand in the middle of these pressures? Doesn’t it make your job difficult?
It makes it difficult, and how…. I would be happy if one of the Bratislava coalition parties was in the Parliament. There is only one of them, and she has now left the government. On the other hand, most government or coalition parties from the Parliament are not present at all in the city council. Parliament is a separate world, there are clubs that have nothing to do with political parties. But my duty is to negotiate with every government that will allow Bratislava to continue to improve.
In addition to being a mayor and an architect, you are also a rock bass player. Can such an onslaught of work be combined in any reasonable way?
Music doesn’t bother me at all. The most played Slovak song this summer on Slovak radio was ours, which I co-authored. Music does not suffer at all from my mayorship, we are doing well. Otherwise, of course, family is primary. I am making every effort to spend more time with my son. Once a year I take five days off and go create.
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photo: Zdeněk Strnad, source: Author’s article