The Vydrica project builds on the rich history of the locality, and creates a new district in the heart of Bratislava, combining the best factors for full-fledged city life.
Vydrica will be a place for Bratislava residents and visitors from the surrounding areas which caters for a vibrant life and pleasant privacy in the very centre of the city. Vydrica will significantly expand the Old Town and seamlessly connect the pedestrian zone, the castle hill, and the Danube embankment.
In addition to its location, the attractiveness of the project is further increased by high-quality urbanism and architecture which takes into account the historical context of the location, as well as the needs of Vydrica inhabitants and visitors. The goal is to create a balanced and sustainable neighbourhood that bears all the hallmarks of an authentic and vibrant city.
The developer of the project is the Vydrica Development, a.s. This company was created through the merger of two companies - Vydrica, a.s., the owner of the land (Ladislav Rehák, Peter Struhár) and the Lucron Group, a.s. development company (Eric Lux, Zoltán Müller). After many years, the intention was revived and a new project was prepared in cooperation with several teams of domestic and international architects and urban planners.
Lucron is an experienced member of the IKO Real Estate international development group based in Luxembourg which primarily focuses on above-standard quality of development. Lucron has been operating in Slovakia since 2005 and has many successful Bratislava projects in its portfolio, including Nesto, Urban Residence, Malé Krasňany, Eden Park, Jaskový rad, and Arboria in Trnava. In addition to commercial development projects, the IKO Real Estate group - led by the main shareholder Eric Lux - also includes the iconic Charlie Chaplin Museum on the shores of Lake Geneva - Chaplin’s World By Grévin.
After many years of waiting, Bratislavské Podhradie (loosely translated as “Bratislava castle town”) will acquire a comprehensive appearance. The construction of Vydrica will be the last piece that will fill the empty space in Podhradie. The unification of the historical centre will return the living public space to the inhabitants of Bratislava and will result in an extended promenade.
Construction begins at the Fishermen’s Guild and ends in front of the Water Tower. The creation of an attractive public area with a living parterre. Connecting streets and creating smaller parks.
Construction of Vydrica towards the city centre. Extension of streets as per the original historical land line and enlargement of the public space with opportunities for relaxation, social and cultural activities.
Completion of the construction of Vydrica and pedestrian barrier-free connection of the historic site to the centre and the Bratislava promenade. New connections to the castle and the castle hill.
Continue reading to discover interesting facts about Vydrica.
The entire construction process will be executed over three stages. The first stage construction works are already underway. Completion of each stage depends on obtaining all the necessary permits. The project was designed to allow residents to fully enjoy the buildings during the first stage even as the remaining construction stages continue. For regular information about project milestones and construction updates, visit our website and social media profiles.
Housing prices will reflect the unique location, architecture, and superior quality and high standards of fixtures. Prices will also be affected by a small number of residential apartments which maintain the project’s Old Town character. A major portion of financing has been dedicated to creating public areas in line with the project’s role as an integral part of the city’s central area.
Vydrica will be a pedestrian, car-free zone, and all traffic will be moved to an underground garage linked to roads via two exits. All the adjacent investments took the Vydrica project’s traffic requirements into consideration. Traffic volume capacity was also determined according to a traffic capacity assessment. Because the location is in the historical centre, cycling, boat traffic, integrated public transport and carsharing, including parking lots available 24 hours, will be encouraged.
Parking spaces will be available for rent, not for sale. Modern shared parking technologies will be employed at Vydrica to maximize the parking lot’s capacity of 680 cars.
The most valuable object at the Vydrica site, the Water Tower, is a national heritage site and dates back to the eleventh century. Administration and development of the tower will be in the hands of the local council. The Water Tower will become the heart of the new Vydrica and therefore deserves special treatment. We plan to give a helping hand to the local authorities. Other historical artefacts, such as the ice cellars, Kempelen’s water pump system, and the baroque cellars also create the site’s genius loci. The structures will be preserved, and most of them will be made accessible to the public. We also plan to introduce several interesting historical objects that no longer exist in the public historical narrative and relate to famous historical figures that once lived in the area.
The Vydrica site’s development is not continuous. Around the Water Tower and also near the Rybársky cech restaurant, a lot of space will be left for unobstructed views of the castle. A person of average height will not have a problem to see the castle from any place along the riverbank. On the contrary, people will enjoy the castle view even more thanks to the pedestrian promenade extension at Vydrica. Vydrica will be the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle to fill up the blank spot in the castle district and also will change the city’s relationship with the castle.
The Vydrica project refers to the historical location and its rich history. The public areas will make the most of the remaining public historical artefacts. The places where legendary buildings once stood and infamous figures lived decades ago will be marked along the crooked streets. Public areas will host artists, designers, and modern-day artisans, and in close cooperation with the local authorities, we will seek suitable spaces for galleries and other cultural activities.