Park kultúry a oddychu
Encyclopedia
Park kultúry a oddychu abbreviated PKO (Park of Culture and Relax) and in the past commonly referred to as Pekáč is a complex of buildings in Bratislava
, the capital of Slovakia
by the Danube
riverbank, built from 1943 to 1948. Until 2010, the complex was used for cultural events in the capital and it has been the place of countless concerts, popular TV shows, balls, high school proms and dance class graduations . In 2010 Park kultúry a oddychu became the focus of a public scandal concerning the signing of some contracts in secret by the then-Mayor of Bratislava
Andrej Ďurkovský
resulting in the public learning about the building being demolished in the future.
The buildings contain many artworks both inside and from the outside. The entrance hall contains 28 Stained-glass windows by national artist Janko Alexy
, the floor in the hall is made from unique colored marble
from near Lučenec
, the first floor above contains a monumental painting Dožinky by academic painter František Gajdoš. The outside of the main building is decorated with two statues by sculptor Tibor Bártfay, above them is a sgraffito
decoration.
Park kultúry a oddychu also contains an astronomy section where regular astronomy lectures and nightsky observations are being held. This institution is a lone representative of its kind in the city, uniqely among European capitals, Bratislava lacks both an observatory
and a planetarium
.
PKO was also the premier location for performing several types of music in Slovakia.
. On June 30, 2011 the Bratislava city parliament voted in favor of keeping the whole structure of Park kultúry a oddychu. The city considers the contract of cooperation with the investor to be void.
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, the capital of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
by the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
riverbank, built from 1943 to 1948. Until 2010, the complex was used for cultural events in the capital and it has been the place of countless concerts, popular TV shows, balls, high school proms and dance class graduations . In 2010 Park kultúry a oddychu became the focus of a public scandal concerning the signing of some contracts in secret by the then-Mayor of Bratislava
Mayor of Bratislava
Mayor of Bratislava is the highest political representative of the Slovak capital Bratislava. The Mayor's office is located at Primate's Square inside Primate's Palace, on the 3rd floor...
Andrej Ďurkovský
Andrej Durkovský
Andrej Ďurkovský is a Slovak politician and former member of the Christian Democratic Movement . After being elected the Mayor of Bratislava twice – from 2002 to 2010 – he was elected into the National Council of the Slovak Republic in the Slovak parliamentary election, 2010...
resulting in the public learning about the building being demolished in the future.
The buildings contain many artworks both inside and from the outside. The entrance hall contains 28 Stained-glass windows by national artist Janko Alexy
Janko Alexy
Janko Alexy was a famous painter, writer, and publicist of Slovak origin. He is generally recognized as one of key personalities in the beginning of Modern Slovak Art.He studied at the Academy of Visual Arts in Prague by Vlaho Bukovac, Maximilian Pirner and Max Švabinský...
, the floor in the hall is made from unique colored marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
from near Lučenec
Lucenec
Lučenec is a town in the Banská Bystrica Region of south-central Slovakia. Historically, it was part, and in the 18th century the capital, of the Nógrád county of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1918, as a result of the Treaty of Trianon, it became a part of Czechoslovakia...
, the first floor above contains a monumental painting Dožinky by academic painter František Gajdoš. The outside of the main building is decorated with two statues by sculptor Tibor Bártfay, above them is a sgraffito
Sgraffito
Sgraffito is a technique either of wall decor, produced by applying layers of plaster tinted in contrasting colors to a moistened surface, or in ceramics, by applying to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip, and then in either case scratching so as to produce an...
decoration.
Park kultúry a oddychu also contains an astronomy section where regular astronomy lectures and nightsky observations are being held. This institution is a lone representative of its kind in the city, uniqely among European capitals, Bratislava lacks both an observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
and a planetarium
Planetarium
A planetarium is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation...
.
History
Project for the buildings is by Pavol Andrik, Kamil A. Gross and Ján Štefanec. The buildings were originally built as administrative buildings for the Danube fair.Significance
Because PKO was the main location in Bratislava for organizing dance class graduations ("venček") with social dance classes being widely attended during the first half of high school in Slovakia, as well quite popular for organizing school proms ("stužková") and high-school freshmen parties ("imatrikulácie"), many generations have an emotional bond with the PKO premises.PKO was also the premier location for performing several types of music in Slovakia.
Future of the structure
For two months, there was a public discussion initiated by Mayor of Bratislava Milan FtáčnikMilan Ftáčnik
Milan Ftáčnik is a Slovak politician, former Minister of Education of the Slovak Republic from 1998 to 2002 and the current Mayor of Bratislava...
. On June 30, 2011 the Bratislava city parliament voted in favor of keeping the whole structure of Park kultúry a oddychu. The city considers the contract of cooperation with the investor to be void.