Deň architektúry: YMCA

A tour of the parts of the YMCA building not open to the public, its significance for life in Bratislava between the wars, and its future, with facilities manager Lucia Škyrtová.

For over a century, the YMCA building has attracted attention with its unique architecture and brick façade. It is the debut work of Alois Balán, a young Moravian architect at the time, who opted for a palatial architectural style with elements of a distinctive form of Cubism in the interior. Since 1923, when the building was completed, the YMCA building in Bratislava has been a significant architectural and cultural monument, attracting attention with its unique architecture and brick façade. It is the first YMCA building in Europe, constructed in the spirit of interwar architecture, and has served cultural, sporting and social purposes for over a century. It is the debut work of Alois Balán, a young Moravian architect at the time. For the building, he opted for a palatial architectural style with elements of a distinctive form of Cubism in the interior. Since 1923, when the building was completed, its walls have concealed surprising stories, unexpected firsts and unique nooks and crannies. Following a period of nationalisation and use for cultural purposes (as a cinema and club premises), it is now a symbol of the community, which its supporters are striving to save and restore for the future.