Kostol Panny Márie Snežnej v Bratislave

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The church on Bratislava’s Calvary was partially restored in September 2020 after more than 70 years. The main intention was to follow the plans of the original trio of architects Ferdinand Fuchs, Ignác Vécsei and Dezider Quastler from 1943, but at the same time to adapt it to today’s man for undisturbed contemplation.

The church stands on an elevated position above the capital. It was built on the site of a smaller Baroque church. It is dedicated to the Virgin Mary of the Snows. The patronage is evidenced in the interior by its stone statuette made according to the Mariazell model. It is also known that due to the nearby monument of the 2nd st. war – Slavin, in 1959 its tower was demolished so as not to compete with the new landmark of the city. Several parts of the interior were never realized and the space was filled with temporary furniture. The floor in the church was completed only shortly before the tower was removed. Many spaces in the church are not completed to this day. At the end of the presbytery, the Tesser mosaic is transferred from another – abolished chapel in the city. After the Second Vatican Council, part of the original metal furniture with Latin inscriptions was permanently removed from the interior.

The complete renovation of the interior did not begin until 2018. It mainly included the renovation of the interior of the presbytery, nave, entrance and service areas, as well as the design and implementation of new furniture. We were aware of the quality of the original plan, which had to be completed. During the design, we were inspired by the original interior elements. The basic expressive element in the design of many details was the square-shaped cassette, which is also used in stucco decoration on the original furniture. Another point of reference in the design was a number of preserved metal interior elements, which we wanted to keep and emphasize. The metal lattice with the inscription “VENI SANCTE SPIRITUS”, separating the chapel from the main nave, was very valuable for us, as it has been preserved as the only one in its original condition.

A special part of the design is the lighting, which was planned but never implemented to such an extent. The lighting has several lighting and dimming modes, as needed and occasional. It consists of a group of pendant lamps and a group of lamps that are not visible to the average visitor.

Kostol Panny Márie Snežnej, Na Kalvárii, Staré Mesto, Slovensko