As revealed by the developer, after the completion of preparatory work in February, work is already officially underway on the construction of the district tower. "As part of groundworks, we are currently working on an underground sealing wall, which will perform a static function until the construction phase of the underground floors," explains the current state of Penta Real Estate. "We already have the first contractors on the project, and in the coming weeks we will start implementing the deep foundations of the 4th tower."

The vision of adding another tower in a given location was already indicated at the time when the sale of apartments in the first three buildings began. It was confirmed in 2017, when the construction of the project was basically only at the beginning. The developer then submitted an intention to assess the impact on the environment, which showed that the new part of the development will be identical to other residential stages in virtually everything - architecture, height and number of apartments. The implementation is a 31-storey building with a height of 103.8 meters and a typical look, which is the result of a concept by Zaha Hadid Architects.

264 apartments will be built in the tower, the sale of which started at the end of last year. The pre-sale started earlier, which is related to the developer's plans to start construction earlier - but in this he was affected by the pandemic of the COVID-19. According to the developer, the interest in housing was extremely high, which is in line with the course of the sale of apartments in the case of previous stages. In the end, the developer himself confirms this. "The sale of apartments in the 4th tower is developing very positively and we are registering interest in all types of apartments," says Michal Rehák - Director of Residential Development at Penta Real Estate Slovakia. "We are gradually contacting a large database of clients, and to date we have managed to address approximately 25% of registered clients who have shown interest in the property in the tower."

The official website does not specify how many flats have already been sold, but the sale is taking place in waves, so their decrease will be gradual. The standard is slightly higher than in the past. "Within the standard, we also changed the suppliers of the materials used in the 4th tower," confirms M. Rehák. "We offer apartments in a high standard (for competing projects, such equipment is above standard). All four towers have air recuperation, there is cooling in the flats and there is also a central waste disposal. ”Naturally, the prices are also significantly higher, which now take into account the prices on the market.

In addition to the apartments, the project will also include civic amenities, located on the first two floors. The specific type of operation is not yet known. 372 parking spaces will be created in the underground spaces.

The difference compared to the past will be a significantly longer construction time. The schedule, published on the official website, assumes the completion of the rough construction only in the middle of 2024. “The construction of the 4th tower is taking place in close proximity to the already approved first residential stage. We want to take into account the already occupied residents in terms of noise, and construction cannot take place in the late evening hours with regard to night rest," explains Michal Rehák. "This is one of the reasons why the project is 'stretched' for a longer period of time, but the comfort of the clients of the first stage is important to us, despite the fact that the extended construction means, of course, an increase in costs."

Sky Park Residence 4 will be completed in the first half of 2025, when the building approval process will begin. The handover of flats and the relocation of clients is expected in the second half of 2025.

Source: Penta Real Estate

The developer's decision to slow down the construction of the project so as not to burden the inhabitants is relatively unconventional among Bratislava developers. Some residents will probably appreciate this, on the other hand, the construction of several projects is planned in the vicinity, which may negate some of the benefits of the procedure. For example, the construction of the Metropolis project could start later this year, and in the coming years the reconstruction of the temporary bus station on Bottová and the neighboring land, which will be backed by HB Reavis, is also expected.

After all, Penta Real Estate also plans to complete the last building: the high-altitude landmark of the entire Sky Park, the Sky Park Tower office tower, which will be almost 120 meters high. At the same time, this tower is most reminiscent of the original design, with which the Zaha Hadid Architects office won the competition for the reconstruction of the area in 2010. However, as it is an office building with approximately 34.5 thousand square meters of office space on 29 floors, its future will be affected by market developments.

Penta Real Estate sees this in the same way. "The construction of the Sky Park Tower will depend on the situation on the office market, and we assume that this could happen at the end of this or the beginning of next year," the investor states on the margo of questions when construction will start. He has already built a pair of office buildings in Sky Park: the Sky Park Offices office complex designed by the Vietzke & Borstelmann office, and the reconstruction of the national cultural monument of Jurkovič's heating plant. Leases in most of the buildings are reportedly developing relatively well, but like most developers, Penta is waiting for the current situation to develop.

It can be built within the Sky Park for some time, as well as in the vicinity. However, if all plans are fulfilled, this project, where relatively dense buildings will be loosened and create a wide, landscaped space, can be one of the centers of downtown. Gradually, this ambition is being fulfilled today, when the public space in Sky Park is becoming more and more visited, but the potential of the area will only become apparent after the onset of the warmer months and lifting the anti-pandemic measures. Until then, the ground floor of the towers, where commercial establishments are gradually settling, could also be filled.

The structure of the towers in the park will not create the same type of urban space as it is in a traditional city, formed by rectangular blocks of houses. On the other hand, the way towers and working with the landscape leads to a colorful mosaic of spaces - and thanks to Sky Park Residence 4, also with places that will resemble "squares" or more intimate city parks. For Bratislava, which does not have a large number of modified public spaces, this is a benefit.

The new city center will thus gain another significant increase. The tower would benefit from a different height, but this is partially prevented by existing regulation. Regardless, its construction continues the transformation of the former "no man's land" into an attractive part of the metropolis. In the long run, this is a positive phenomenon.

Source:// YIMBA