30.07.2023
Ribbon cut at new Joseph Popper Park in Slnečnice
The first part of the new 14,000 sqm Joseph Popper Park in Slnečnice opened in June. The park - which has a wide range of leisure and sports options - will eventually cover 58,000 sqm, making it the second largest park in Petržalka after Janko Kráľ. We have so far invested EUR 3.4 million in the park.
Park named after local
Joseph Popper Park in Slnečnice combines the familiar name of the neighbourhood in southern Petržalka that first flowered 15 years ago, and a local historical figure. "Joseph Popper was a prominent Bratislava landowner whose estates included the area of present-day Slnečnice. His "Farm of Three Countries" extended into Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia. After the Petržalka area came under the rule of fascist Germany, he was imprisoned for being a Jew. Yet he managed to emigrate to England and then Australia, where he lived with his family," says Ján Krnáč, CRESCO REAL ESTATE’s executive director. The land was returned to the Popper family as part of restitutions after the Velvet Revolution.
Petržalka’s second largest park
EUR 3.4 million has so far been invested in the first 14,000 sqm park section. After completion, the park will be the second largest in Petržalka at 58,000 sqm. The park will connect the Zóna mesto (City Zone), while the western part will connect to the tram line (Janíkov dvor stop) which is currently under construction. "The Zóna mesto park will be a recreational hub for the neighbourhood - connecting Slnečnice’s locations and communities. The park’s design aims to reflect a common universality," explains Ladislav Hoffmann, CRESCO REAL ESTATE’s construction director. We went above and beyond zoning regulations to increase green space around the park: the Slnečnice Nad mestom project - directly connected to the new park - has 5,000 sqm of additional green areas.
Living place for communities
The park brings several new features to Slnečnice, such as a hedge maze, pétanque court, fitness and workout zone, activities for seniors, a dog training area with agility, BBQ and picnic areas, and kids’ playground (including activities for mobility impaired). “As the park will serve the Slnečnice community for decades, the activities are aimed at all age groups,” says Dávid Grega, AWE ATELIER’s landscape architect and park co-designer. “The park is a year-round benefit – the selection of flora reflects every season,” says Zuzana Isteníková, AWE ATELIER’s landscape architect and park co-designer. Yet the selection of plants went beyond purely visual considerations. “We sought low maintenance local species such as platanus trees, oaks, lindens, maples, pines, ornamental cherries, alders, ginkgo and ambergris.”
Slnečnice in photos
The new park’s opening includes the People of Slnečnice photo exhibition by Marcel Rebro: “This is my first project in Slovakia for a long time. I consider it important to see the world both through a lens and with an open heart: to blend in with surroundings, to become part of events. And that’s easy in Slnečnice. I met many nice people here who were happy to stop and chat.” The exhibition presents everyday images from Slnečnice and is on display in the park throughout summer.
In recent years, Marcel Rebro has documented reindeer herders in the Russian tundra, children in garment factories in Bangladesh, the Yazidis under Aragac, horse breeders in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, mountain villages in Tajikistan, Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, and rice farmers in Bali. He is currently working in Ukraine on those left homeless due to the war.
Municipality may manage park
We have officially requested that Petržalka municipality manages the park. "From the outset, the park was aimed at the general public. Urban greenery is a public good that should be managed from public funds," says Jan Krnáč. By managing the park, Petržalka would return part of the development fee to the locality that it has amassed from Slnečnice. "In the early days of the park’s design, we consulted with Petržalka municipality about aesthetics and facilities. The aim was to find a compromise, and not unnecessarily burden the city district with expensive maintenance. A tangible result of this joint approach was the maze, which Petržalka municipality suggested."