There are only a few buildings with industrial history left in Bratislava that have managed to adapt to the current needs. One of them is functionalist building of Jurkovič's Heating Plant, which has been opened to the public after a three-year renovation as a modern coworking centre - Base4Work from studio Perspektiv as interior designers. 

The architectural solution in the form of new interior spaces and new structures is the work of DF Creative Group. The PAMARCH, specializing in the protection and reconstruction of monuments, oversaw the building envelope renovation. 

The interior design itself was conceived to ensure that the original parts remain visible and the imprint of Dušan Jurkovič is preserved as much as possible. However, the Perspektiv architects interpreted Jurkovič’s work in the spirit of the 21st century. “We wanted to make sure that both the new and original parts would be clearly recognisable – we didn’t want to imitate the original work,” said architects Ján Antal and Barbora S. Babocká. DF Creative Group placed a new five-storey building in the interior of the boiler and turbine hall, which created new areas. 

This concept makes it possible to clearly separate and distinguish the historic structures from the new ones. The varied diversity also meets the requirements of a wide range of users. On each of the floors there are fixed desks, hot desks, separate offices, a phone booth, a workshop room, and meeting rooms with a capacity of 4 to 18 people. Clients can also use the community lounges. Perspektiv presents Dušan Jurkovič’s extensive work by using graphic elements in the interior. 

Perspektiv decomposes the original decorative ornaments into prime factors in the form of light elements on the walls or engraved cabinets.A folk carpenter was replaced by a CNC milling machine, and solid wood by natural fibreboards. The craftsmanship and contemporary materials in their raw essence form a unifying motif for each floor. 

The colour palette is based on the shades of terracotta, characteristic of the building’s shell, complemented by muted deep tones of blue, green and carbon black. The generosity of the space is underlined by the massive concrete hoppers, which were originally used to store solid fuels. The architects managed to place some of the meeting rooms inside them. In line with their style, the architects used for offices and meeting rooms recycled and natural materials. The environmentally friendly Re:felt panels are made from recycled PET bottles. 

The architects used the building’s complex structure to the clients’ advantage, creating comfort zones in several places. The flexibility of the space is appreciated not only by the developer, but also by the first tenants. 

Thanks to the renovation, the new appearance of Jurkovič’s heating plant has reinforced the importance of preserving the original buildings and confirmed that their preservation can also be beneficial for investors.