ast021 etis slovakia
DESCRIPTION
ETIS Slovakia, ALEXY&ALEXY, Bratislava, Slovakia, 2008TRANSCRIPT
ASthought
project: architect:
ETIS Slovakia / ALEXY & ALEXY
#21
book editor:
Martin Bútora
ASthought
project: architect:
ETIS Slovakia / ALEXY & ALEXY
#21
AsThoughtarchitecture from concept to built form
Our main goal is to describe the design process, the architectural solutions and the detailing choices of a built work in a chronological order. The dream – that is also the ambition – is to tune at the best the structure of this on-line manual and to spread around its template in order to amplify the power of collecting and publishing in a such huge way that in a few years we could arrive at the largest open source and most browsed utility for architectural students not only in Europe.
series editors:Gennaro PostiglioneMaddalena Scarzellaresearch team in Interiors @ Politecnico di Milano////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
ASthought architecture from concept to built form
http://asthought.polimi-cooperation.org
follow https://twitter.com/ASthought1 http://vimeo.com/asthought http://www.issuu.com/asthought
book editor:
Martin Bútora
All rights reserved © All Authors All drawings © ALEXY & ALEXYAll pictures © Martin Bútora, Pato Safko, Andrej Alexythis volume has no commercial purposes but only educational goals
Milan 2013
Content
Work facts p. 5
Project description p. 6
Interview with Andrej Alexy p. 10
Draft proposal p. 14
Final proposal p. 20
Construction drawings p. 30
Building site p. 46
Photo gallery surroundings p. 54
Photo gallery exteriors p. 62
Photo gallery interiors p. 80
Systems of lighting p. 106
Selected essay p. 114
Appendix p. 119
office presentation p. 120
book editor presentation p. 122
4 ASthought
image full size
“Architecture through transparent facade acquires another dimension - environment enters the building and becomes part of it.”
Work facts
5ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Project: ETIS Slovakia
Address: Hlohová 10, 821 07 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Area: 2.017 m²
Volume: 15.612 m³
Type: Manufacture and Headquarter
Planned: 12/2006 – 07/2007
Built: 03/2008 – 10/2008
Client: ETIS Slovakia, a.s.
Architect: ALEXY & ALEXY / Ing. arch. Andrej Alexy
Responsible partner: Ing. arch. Andrej Alexy
Collaborators: Marek Kopp, Igor Lauko, Štefan Rafanides, Roman Rosina, Zuzana Švikruhová, Miroslav Jošt,
Radka Švecová, Daniela Málusová
Structural engineer: Ing. Miroslav Dobrucký
Awards: CE∙ZA∙AR 2010 – Award of the Slovak Chamber of Architects
References: http://www.alexyandalexy.sk/
http://asthought.polimi-cooperation.org/etis-slovakia-alexyalexy-bratislava-slovakia-2008-office
industry/
Project description: ALEXY & ALEXY
History of Commission: The client approached our architectural office based on a positive reference – realization of an
industrial hall Stavmat IN in Bratislava. The task was to create new operational and administrative
hall for ETIS Slovakia, a.s., a company producing self-adhesive labels on food products. The
building was planned to be located in Bratislava – Vrakuna.
Main architectural ideas: At the beginning we had a vision of simple “box” that is opened towards the street and by
transparent facade talks to a visitor. Glass connects the building with its surroundings.
Transparent facade vividly reacts to light during the day – dynamically changes its expression from
taciturn anthracite grey to blazing cyan.
Project description
7ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
“Compact two-storey hall for a label printing and headquarters offices. Almost in the field. So far. The
city gradually grows in here. Determining is a reduced vocabulary of elementary shapes and colors: gray,
almost black Alucobond, silver trapezoidal sheet metal, glass, signaling logotype and bright yellow hid-
den inside.”
8 ASthought
“At the beginning we had a vision of simple “box” that is opened towards the street and by transparent facade talks to a visitor.”
9ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Interview with Andrej Alexy
11ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
images
Martin Bútora: At the first sight it may seem that the industrial hall ETIS is as simple prism. With a closer
examination we can notice the levitating “big eye” of the facade, the embedded entrance of the loading
ramp for import and export of goods, details of interior... Where did you take your inspiration from? Are
the results of design according to you just aesthetically managed the rational requirements or do you put
stress on the philosophical idea?
Andrej Alexy: The philosophy of design goes hand in hand with rational requirements for functional and
aesthetic treatment of the exterior or interior as well. The initial is always the idea of the proposal which is
born during countless analyses and discussions with the client. It was not our first hall-type building, so
we had some experiences and ideas how could such object would look like. The client himself contacted
us on the base of a positive reference after visiting the building, which we realized.
Martin Bútora: Inside the ETIS factory I think you have managed to create a high-quality and aesthetic
working environment, which is not standard in practice. Did you receive from the client or from the em-
ployees a response to better working atmosphere or job performance? Do you think that a high-quality
architecture is able to educate human?
Andrej Alexy: Yes, we get positive feedback even today. The client thanks to the new building scored
commercial successes, expanding his activities abroad. Moreover since the beginning of work on the
project, it was clear that the investment into the building must be part of an overall firm strategy. The cli-
ent himself said, “If our mission says that we design the labels of successful firms, our visual appearance
of the headquarter must also correspond to that term.” Interior and efficiently scheduled inner space
registered an impact on the workers themselves, their satisfaction and better performance and a sense
of belonging to the company.
12 ASthought
images
Martin Bútora: On the last year’s visiting tour with you and architect Eva Oravcová you mentioned that in
the production hall was proposed a heating system using residual heat generated from the printing ma-
chines. I would like to ask to which extent you were trying to apply energy and environment saving tech-
nologies in the design of the industrial hall ETIS. Is it difficult to convince the client to use such systems?
Andrej Alexy: In our practice, we meet with clients, who are usually economically well-informed. There
was no difference in the case of ETIS. Any idea for saving energy and thus the environment was very
carefully analyzed. The result was a concept which largely uses the residual heat of the printing ma-
chines. The question of more massive use of advanced technologies such as heat pumps, however,
depends on the time of return of the initial investment. In the developed countries plays a key role the
state support of them, which is still lacking in our country.
Martin Bútora: I noticed that the industrial hall ETIS has very interesting and sophisticated design of
interior and exterior lighting. Did you cooperate with some specialized lighting design studio?
Andrej Alexy: Illumination of interior and exterior is an integral part of the design solution and contrib-
utes to the overall perception of the building. Design, layout and overall lighting concept comes from our
architectural studio and drew experiences from previous realized buildings. Later, during the realization
process the individual details were consulted and modified with the supplier.
Martin Bútora: The quality of the project is often “reduced” by low standards of craftsmanship. How
were you satisfied with the building company during the construction of ETIS? Is it important for you to
monitor the quality of the work during the realization process personally?
Andrej Alexy: High-quality treatment is a basic condition for the full perception of architecture. The
philosophy of our design lies in the recognition of basic materials and surfaces in their natural, raw form,
to expose the true beauty of materials in their basal nature. This obviously puts greater demand on the
perfect treatment. Most of the surfaces were in the final form without subsequent tiling or painting. This
has been a problem for some contractors and some works has been reclaimed and had to be repaired
afterwards. The overall quality of the final work can thank to the regular inspection days and active per-
sonal participation of the investor on the site.
13ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Andrej Alexy
images
Draft proposal
images
“Almost in the field.” 2006
15ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
16 ASthought
Spatial concept - administration part (blue) in the front, production part (grey) in the back.
Funcional concept - design and managenent offices (blue), entrance hall (yellow), presentation and conference rooms (fuchsia), pro-
duction hall (white), service rooms (brown), storage (grey).
17ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
images
Linear space organization
One of the first ideas was to write letters of different heights to represent labels and the firm’s business activity - graphic design.
The spaces for administrative part were clearly divided from production part by a skylight in the draft proposal.
18 ASthought
The ramp was later transformed into two stair plates. The meaning of this idea is that one is entering a building which quality is higher
than casual. The transparent fasade levitates few centimeters above the ground.
19ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Final proposal
“The easiest way how to create a space. Just pull the width, height and length.”
21ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
images
22 ASthought
Site plan
23ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
images
First floor plan
LEG
EN
D
1.01
EN
TRA
NC
E H
ALL
/RE
CE
PTI
ON
1.02
CU
STO
ME
R S
ALE
S D
EP.
1.03
OFF
ICE
1.04
CLE
AN
ING
CH
AM
BE
R1.
05 W
C W
OM
EN
1.06
WC
ME
N1.
07 K
ITC
HE
N1.
08 P
RE
SE
NTA
TIO
N R
OO
M1.
09 D
INN
ING
RO
OM
1.10
MA
NA
GE
R1.
11 W
OR
KR
OO
M1.
12 S
TOR
AG
E1.
13 D
RE
SS
ING
RO
OM
ME
N1.
14 S
HO
WE
R M
EN
1.15
SH
OW
ER
WO
ME
N1.
16 D
RE
SS
ING
RO
OM
WO
ME
N1.
17 S
TOR
EK
EE
PE
RS
1.18
EM
PLO
EE
EN
TRA
NC
E1.
19 IM
PO
RT-
EXP
OR
T O
FFIC
E1.
20 E
XPE
DIT
ION
SPA
CE
1.21
PR
ES
S M
AC
HIN
E1.
22 S
TOR
AG
E S
PAC
E1.
23 E
XPE
DIT
ION
STO
RA
GE
1.24
STO
RA
GE
1.25
STO
RA
GE
1.26
IMP
OR
T-E
XPO
RT
RA
MP
1.27
HA
ND
LIN
G S
PAC
E1.
28TE
CH
NIC
AL
RO
OM
24 ASthought
Second floor plan
LEG
EN
D
2.01
GA
LLE
RY
2.02
CH
IEF
EXE
CU
TIV
E O
FFIC
ER
2.03
SA
LES
DE
PAR
TME
NT
2.04
EC
ON
OM
IC D
EPA
RTM
EN
T2.
05 T
EC
HN
ICA
L R
OO
M2.
06 S
ER
VE
R2.
07 W
C W
OM
EN
2.08
WC
ME
N2.
09 K
ITC
HE
N2.
10 C
ON
FER
EN
CE
RO
OM
2.11
DIR
EC
TOR
2.12
RE
SE
RV
E2.
13 R
ES
ER
VE
2.14
CO
MP
RE
SS
OR
25ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Cross-section and longitudinal section
26 ASthought
North-east front side elevation, south-west back side elevation
27ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
North-west right side elevation, south-east left side elevation
28 ASthought
Relationship between entirety and detail in the context of compositional-proportional context
29ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Construction drawings
31ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
images
“To keep the space cheap, everything is visible. We show everything (construction) and we think that it is nice. We want to show this.”
32 ASthought
Section through the transparent facade.
33ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Glass connects the building with its surroundings. Transparent facade vividly reacts to light during the day – dynamically changes its
expression from taciturn anthracite grey to blazing cyan.
34 ASthought
The transparent facade levitates few centimeters above the ground.
Detailed section of transparent facade at the ground level. 1- Alucobond metal cover, 2- light, 3- mullion /
transom glazing, 6- concrete plate
35ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
“Architecture exceeds boundaries ofť own footprint, surrounding environment enters the building and becomes part of it.”
36 ASthought
Detailed section of transparent facade at the 2nd floor level. 3- mullion / transom glazing, 4- sun shade,
5- metal grid
Internal working environment is protected by white sun shades.
37ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Detailed section of transparent facade at the roof level. 1- Alucobond metal cover, 2- light, 3- mullion /
transom glazing, 4- sun shade, 7- attic metal sheet
Integrated lights are framing the transparent facade.
38 ASthought
Detail of hidden gas pipeline. The first and the last Alucobond panel is perfored with small holes to allow natural ventilation.
39ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Detail at the roof level.
Detail at the ground level.
40 ASthought
Production hall. “I have always admired old industrial factories. They are fascinating. I looked forward to this job.”
41ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
42 ASthought
Statical axonometry
43ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Detail of steel construction - roof bracing and plasterboad, glass partition.
Detail of steel construction - column and beam joint, transparent facade.
44 ASthought
45ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Building site
Management offices on the second floor. “Everything is visible.”
47ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
images
Constructing the steel skeleton. Spring 2008
48 ASthought
Constructing the steel skeleton. Spring 2008
49ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
50 ASthought
Roof bracing.
Swing fixation of steel I-profile columns is anchored to the concrete foundation strip.
51ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Column and ceiling beam joint.
52 ASthought
53ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Photo gallery surroundings
Partition building and furnishing interior work in offices on the first floor.
55ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Few years ago there were only agricultural fields. At the periphery of Bratislava this industrial zone is now growing.
56 ASthought
57ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
58 ASthought
The building position is perpendicular to the street and develops in linear way - parking, access road, fore, administrative part, produc-
tion part, storage and export.
59ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
previous page: Sewage treatment plant neighbours with ETIS.
60 ASthought
61ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Photo gallery exteriors
The visitor immediatelly gets the feeling of a modern environment representing the current trends in architecture of industrial buildings.
63ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
“At the beginning we had a vision of simple “box” that is opened towards the street and by transparent facade talks to a visitor.”
64 ASthought
Administrative part is covered by dark grey - anthracite cladding board Alucobond, production part is covered by light silver corru-
gated metal sheet. Transparent part with aluminum frame ideologically connects both functions.
65ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
next page: The dominant feature of the transparent front facade are labels in the form of letters. They represent a hilarious combination
of traditional, so-called television, facade with fashionable media facade.
66 ASthought
67ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
68 ASthought
The main entrance is perfectly hidden in the facade ornamente in original way. It is indicated by a pair of metal plates staircase.
69ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
The exterior design deals with parking, paved areas, pedestrian and automobile roads.
70 ASthought
71ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Import-export loading ramp in the back of the building.
left: Concept of linearity is supported by corrugated metal sheet cladding and long strips of ribbon windows.
“Out of the “box” anything can be sticking out.” This is the reason way the import-export loading ramp is
embedded into the building structure. Stairs are leading towards the emploee entrance.
72 ASthought
73ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
74 ASthought
The buiding represents from typological perspective additive concept of partial overgrowth of administrative, manufacturing and
warehouse and personnel background. Administrative and production part are clearly divided by material use. Behind the building
there is space for further developement.
75ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
76 ASthought
Imaginary golden thread that connects all parts of the building is the presence of intense elements of cor-
porate identity in the architecture.
Two metal plates staircase are floating above the overexposed gravel gutter sidewalk. Entrance resembles
walking over the surface of water.
left: Glass reflects the environment.
77ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
78 ASthought
79ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Photo gallery interiors
“If our mission says that we design the labels of successful firms, our visual appearance of the headquarter must also correspond to
that term.”
81
images
“ETIS has a simple volume. Therefore it was important to seek clarity of the proportions from the whole to the detail in conjunction with
the selection of furnishings to complement the design.”
82 ASthought
83ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
84 ASthought
The use of glass partitions makes a relatively small entrance hall looking generous and representational. previous page: Entrance hall.
85ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Presentation room used for showing the final label design to the customers.
86 ASthought
87ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Entrance hall. Reception desk resembles the transparent facade with letters and gravel in the front.
left: On the staircase are used main interior expression materials together - glass, metal and concrete.
“Black boxes” behind the white shelf contain background facilities (toilets, cleaning chamber, server, techni-
cal room) for the offices on the first and second floor.
88 ASthought
89ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
90 ASthought
91ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Interiors are compact, sober but without formality.
left: Working places are connected with surrounding environment from which they get diffused natural light.
“Fine-tuning of details was necessary in order to achieve a harmonious unity from which will emit a pleasant
atmosphere and become an integral part of the corporate identity.”
previous page: Design offices on the first floor. Spaces are organized in the concept of free flow plan.
92 ASthought
Staircase leads to the management offices on the second floor. Grey fibre-cement boards can be illuminated from the back side.
93ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Office kitchen and waiting space on the gallery. Suspended ceiling with fixed spot lights made of metal grid has industrial look.
94 ASthought
View from the gallery to the entrance hall. The conference room has red upholstered chairs while the other office chairs are in blue.
95ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
View from the gallery to the entrance hall. next page: Management offices on the second floor.
96 ASthought
97ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
98 ASthought
Toilettes hidden in the “black boxes” for the offices have fresh orange color.
previous page: White shelf is showing the best realized label designs, materials, printing possibilities and quality.
99ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Everything related to production activity is presented. This program transparency is translated into true “techni-
cal” design of elements: visible construction of ceilings, industrial lighting in the entrance hall, exact form of the
glass railings on the staircase, suspended metal ceilings, toilette sinks...
100 ASthought
Dinning room for employees is located on the first floor behing the presentation room.
101ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Entrance to the production hall is next to the dinning room. next page: Production hall for printing labels.
102 ASthought
103ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
104 ASthought
Production hall space is designed in a similar way as the administration part. Visible steel skeleton structure
and lattice girders in anthracite gray and industrial flooring are used in the whole building.
Heating system (see silver alluminium tubes) is using residual heat generated from the printing machines.
Behind the printing machines (on the right) is located the storage of final products.
105ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Automatic sliding gate opens up towards embedded import-export loading ramp.
Systems of lighting
107ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Spot light fixed into metal grid suspended ceiling.
108 ASthought
“The building is living at night as well and underneath the “glass skin” a colored performance of the internal life of the building takes
place.”
109ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
110 ASthought
111ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
112 ASthought
Interior ceiling light in the presentation room. prvious page: Illumination of the entrance hall.
Ceiling lights from the entrance hall are used in the employee dinning room as well.
113ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Outdoor light illuminates the access road and car park.
Outdoor linear ceiling lights in the import-export lading ramp space.
Selected essay
115ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Harmony of expediencyby Ján Ilkovič
New headquarter and manufacturing facility ETIS Slovakia for production of agricultural prod-
ucts labels appeared in the outskirts of Bratislava, in Vrakuňa. Immediately at the entrance the visitor
gets the feeling of a modern environment that represents the current trends in architecture of industrial
buildings. Imaginary golden thread that connects all parts of the area is the intense presence of elements
of corporate identity (corporate design) in the architecture.
The building represents from a typological perspective an additive concept of partial over-
growth administrative part, manufacture and storage spaces and personnel background. Central manu-
facturing hall space is surrounded by additional operations on two levels (the technology administration,
sanitary facilities, storage service, expedition and etc.). Operationally independent “module” is admin-
istration part. The architect designed it as a compact, slightly raised mass above the surface, which is
divided from the production hall of a different architectural style but related color by vertical glazed strip.
The dominant feature of the building’s front facade is transparent full-glazed wall with labels in form of
letters. It represents a hilarious combination of traditional, so-called television facade with fashionable
media facade. The main entrance perfectly hidden in ornament of the facade is signalized in an original
way indicated by a pair of metal plates staircase, floating above the overexposed gravel gutter sidewalk.
In this regard, it should be noted that the wide gravel strip will require daily maintenance, which may ulti-
mately affect this fancy solution. Transparent facade allows revealing the inner life of the building and also
acts as a welcoming gesture in relation to the customer. This effect is due to the sophisticated interior
lighting applies especially after dark.
Individual administrative offices are organized around the entrance hall with reception and
staircase. On the ground floor, the customer part is optically connected with the conference room and
116 ASthought
ILKOVIC, Ján. Harmťónia úcelnosti. ARCH ťcasopis o architektúre a inej kultúre, 2009-05-01, vol. 14, issue 05, p. 38-39.
* the information desk was later removed, nowadays there are two design chairs instead of it – editor’s comment
management offices. The use of glass partitions makes a relatively small entrance hall looking generous
and representational. Another difference from traditional standard of industrial buildings is the design of
interiors. Interiors are compact, sober but without formality. Everything related to production activity is
presented. This program transparency is translated into true “technical” design of elements: visible con-
struction of ceilings, industrial lighting in the entrance hall, exact form of the glass railings on the staircase
and even suspended metal ceilings. The dominant feature of the entrance hall is the information desk. It
grows out of the gravel and as the only ornament on his regular body uses a company logo. It acts as
a scale model or the entire building or rather than a sample outline of facade fragment. His counterpart
is the information desk on the second floor, where his location appears somehow illogically.* The lack of
an impressive solution for the building can be considered poor craftsmanship of the brushed concrete
flooring that shortly after starting using leaves its mark. Production hall space is designed in a similar
way as the administration part. Visible steel skeleton structure and lattice girders in anthracite gray and
industrial flooring are used in the whole building. Production part is directly accessed from the main
entrance hall. Pedestrian movement and background areas are for safety reasons separated by sophis-
ticated railings.
117ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
“When the building was completed in the spring it was still very raw (surrounding). We came one day for the control day and pop-
pies were flourishing here, all red. We said that this we have to repeat.” Dendrologist said its not possible to grow them, so they
have choosen other flowers to put on this place.
appendix
120 ASthought
office presentation
121ETIS Slovakia - ALEXY & ALEXY
Tibor Alexy was born in 1929 in Padarovce. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and
Civil Engineering SVŠT, Bratislava in 1955. He taught at this university until 2002. Andrej Alexy was born
in 1965 in Bratislava. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture STU, Bratislava in 1989. He worked
in several architectural studios until 2006. Since 2006 he is teaching at the Faculty of Architecture STU,
Bratislava as visiting docent and he is working in architectural studio ALEXY & ALEXY.
Behind the name is hidden for over twenty years of collaboration with father Tibor and his son
Andrej Alexy. “We have always been a small architectural studio and the number of employees was
around four or five,” says Andrej Alexy. “We have never wanted it to expand as in such amount of people
things can be solved at collegial, almost friendly level.” The main domain of studio activity is wide-ranging
architectural work from designing new buildings up to renovation, interior design and design. Residential
buildings, industrial architecture, public spaces, urban studies - these are all areas of studio interest,
which avoids typological stereotype. Diversity allows in terms of market demand flexibility but it puts
increased requirements on the studio for new commissions with different goals. Their buildings of various
typological characters have feeling of certain similarity of thoughts and expression. “It’s important to have
your own style that is readable at a glance” says Andrej Alexy. Studio ALEXY & ALEXY creates clean,
readable and open forms of architecture which do not miss classic elegance and professional integrity.
“The external form is related to the internal structure of architecture and it is an expression of internal
plan but we always try to give something extra to our work” points out Andrej Alexy. “The final shape
is coming from the surrounding context and from a rational composition of various studies - transport,
structural, high-rise etc., to which we add emotional elements. Emotions, however, we try to keep at bay
because if the architectural expression to be true and sincere, it must harmoniously tuned.”
The quality of the studio ALEXY & ALEXY Works is evidenced by several awards and prizes
one of which is the CE.ZA.AR, award of the Slovak Chamber of Architects for architecture. First time
studio won CE.ZA.AR Award with the project “Mondrian” in category Residential Buildings and second
time with the project “ETIS Slovakia” in category Public and Industrial Buildings. These projects were
nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award as well.
My name is Martin Bútora and I was born in 1989. I come from a town Dubnica nad Váhom in
Slovak Republic. I am a Master degree student taking part in Erasmus mobility at Politecnico di Milano.
I graduated with bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urban Planning at the Faculty of Architecture at
Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava in 2012.
The decision to study architecture led me a desire to design and construct buildings in the
future and my skillful father, an architect. I am persuaded that the work of an architect is not simple, but
very important and helpful in our society. Designing gives me space to express myself and I hope that I
can positively influence my surrounding. I consider myself as a humble, open-minded, hard-working and
responsible person. I enjoy designing, solving conceptual tasks and working in team. I’m interested in
contemporary architecture and art. My free time is dedicated to voluntary work especially in the Scouting
Slovakia. If the opportunity arises, I set out on the mountain for a hike or bike trip.
122 ASthought
book editor presentation
Work facts
Project: ETIS Slovakia
Address: Hlohová 10, 821 07 Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Area: 2.017 m²
Volume: 15.612 m³
Type: Manufacture and Headquarter
Planned: 12/2006 – 07/2007
Built: 03/2008 – 10/2008
Client: ETIS Slovakia, a.s.
Architect: ALEXY & ALEXY / Ing. arch. Andrej Alexy
Responsible partner: Ing. arch. Andrej Alexy
Collaborators: Marek Kopp, Igor Lauko, Štefan Rafanides, Roman Rosina, Zuzana Švikruhová, Miroslav Jošt,
Radka Švecová, Daniela Málusová
Structural engineer: Ing. Miroslav Dobrucký
Awards: CE∙ZA∙AR 2010 – Award of the Slovak Chamber of Architects
References: http://www.alexyandalexy.sk/
http://asthought.polimi-cooperation.org/etis-slovakia-alexyalexy-bratislava-slovakia-2008-office
industry/
Project description: ALEXY & ALEXY
History of Commission: The client approached our architectural office based on a positive reference – realization of an
industrial hall Stavmat IN in Bratislava. The task was to create new operational and administrative
hall for ETIS Slovakia, a.s., a company producing self-adhesive labels on food products. The
building was planned to be located in Bratislava – Vrakuna.
Main architectural ideas: At the beginning we had a vision of simple “box” that is opened towards the street and by
transparent facade talks to a visitor. Glass connects the building with its surroundings.
Transparent facade vividly reacts to light during the day – dynamically changes its expression from
taciturn anthracite grey to blazing cyan.