For decades, the Danube promenade along the Rázus and Vajanský embankments was separated from the river by a low wall and various sections with decorative metal railings. This provided an impressive view of the river and opposite bank from the waterfront. There were many benches from which to admire the attractive panorama. This changed between 2005 and 2010 with the introduction of flood protection measures that included high walls between the promenade and the river. Only short sections of the metal railings remain, together with slips for installing mobile flood barriers.
The construction of walls that in effect cut the promenade off from the water is unprecedented. Most cities with waterfronts protect and cultivate them as attractive spaces for recreation, culture, and sports. In the event of high water, they employ effective protection methods that do not permanently disrupt the aesthetic or historical values of public spaces. Examples can be found among Slovakia’s closest neighbours along the Danube, but also in cities around the world that are located on rivers or seafronts.
After the flood protection measures were implemented, the city, the local district, architecture and urban planning experts, and various civic initiatives and associations sought ways to at least partially rehabilitate and cultivate the affected public space. One such initiative was an international competition to design a viewing bench for the riverbank that, through its design and placement, would rise above the flood wall and provide views of the river. The competition was organised by the Punkt civic association and PROVIDA Foundation in cooperation with the Culture Department of the Old Town District. Deadline for the competition was 30 April 2012. 126 entries were submitted, and a panel of experts assessed them in three rounds. The criteria were: ingenuity of the solution, identification with the place, functionality, safety, and design innovation, as well as production efficiency and optimal pricing. In the final round, the panel selected "Take a Seat" by the designer H. Bergerová as the winning design. It comprised a system of raised benches made of light-coloured concrete with wooden seats. The shape, size, and material promote repeatability and cost-effective production. The first three benches were installed in June 2013 on Rázus Embankment, and these were also the last. The objective of positioning them close to the flood wall so that they would offer a view of the water was not implemented. A short time later, the city district moved the benches to a small park on Vajanský Embankment, where they still did not provide the desired view of the river and even formed a barrier on the busy sidewalk. Furthermore, the white of the concrete attracted vandals, and the benches were often spray-painted. Ultimately, in 2021, the benches were moved to the opposite end of the promenade near Lanfranconi Bridge – but again to a location without a view of the Danube. Shortly after the benches were moved, the France-based illustrator Mária Slováková used oil paints to paint them in pop art style. She agreed this with the then management of the city district, but it is not known whether H. Bergerová, the designer of the benches, approved the intervention.
The painted benches remain in an unsuitable location as an unwanted gift that nobody seems to know what to do with. That said, the original competition for a bench with a view produced numerous good designs and solutions that could possibly be revisited. The problem of the promenade being cut off from the water persists on the Rázus and Vajanský embankments.
ZD
Research status as of 29. 3. 2024.
