Slovak TV building

Tucked into the leafy expanse of Mlynská dolina in Bratislava, the Slovak Television Building rises above the treetops like a silent guardian of Bratislava’s modern era. For decades, its 108-metre appearance has marked the skyline, a landmark visible from the hills of Karlova Ves, especially striking at sunset when its windows catch the last golden light.

The story of this tower began in the 1960s, when Slovakia’s growing television industry needed a new home. Architect Jozef Struhar, along with Vaclav Curilla and Olga Mankova, won the competition to design a complex that would reflect both ambition and cutting-edge technology. Construction started in 1965 and, after years of effort, the high-rise was ceremonially opened in December 1975. At the time, it was a record-breaker: the first building in Czechoslovakia to surpass 100 metres, and the tallest in the country for nearly three decades.

The building itself is a feat of engineering, with a reinforced concrete core housing all the elevators, services, and washrooms, leaving the rest of each floor open for flexible office space. Four concrete cross-bracing walls not only strengthen the structure but also give the facade its distinctive, rhythmic appearance. The entire television complex was built in stages, with the high-rise as its dominant feature, and was equipped with some of the most advanced broadcast technology of its time.

For years, the tower was the bustling headquarters of Slovak National Television, later Radio and Television of Slovakia. It even boasted a restaurant on its 28th floor, offering panoramic views of the city. But as times changed and media operations moved elsewhere, the building gradually emptied out. Today, it stands mostly unused, maintained only minimally, a preserved relic of the city’s broadcasting history.

Still, the Slovak Television Building remains a symbol of Bratislava’s aspirations during the late 20th century-a monument to the era when the city was reaching upward, determined to make its mark. To outsiders, it may seem just another office tower, but to locals, it is a familiar companion, a silent witness to decades of Slovak stories and the changing face of the capital.