Lebenski | Atrium Architekti

The Revived Beauty of Mountain Architecture

The Lebenski apartment building stands solitarily on the edge of the mountain forest zone, behind which the majestic peaks of the High Tatras rise. Its exclusive position in the Horný Smokovec locality, aptly named Pekná vyhliadka (Beautiful View), makes it a dominant feature visible from Poprad. This is why the architects aimed for the building to appear calm in its setting and draw attention with its formal simplicity and purity.

The name Lebenski refers to the original sanatorium Nový život (New Life), built in the early 1960s. The structure, which had deteriorated and lost its architectural and functional qualities since the 1990s, was purchased by the company Bukna & Laurinčík, which began its complete transformation into an apartment building in 2023, entrusting the project to Atrium Architekti studio. This followed their previous successful project in Dolný Kubín, which was nominated for the CEZAAR award.

The framework for the reconstruction was defined by the strict regulations of the TANAP National Park and the town of Vysoké Tatry, as well as the investor's requirement for maximum utilization of all spaces. The architects' intention was to restore the building's purposeful elegance, inspired by the architecture of Tatra mountain hotels. The accommodation capacity of the new apartment building was increased by converting the attic and basement into residential spaces, while the original height, built-up area, and silhouette of the building were preserved.

"The opportunity to work in the environment of the High Tatras architecture is not a typology we encounter every day. The local Tatra architecture is a historical layer dating back to the Austro-Hungarian era. We find influences from Switzerland, Italy, and Budapest, but also the roots of the local environment and folklore. It is an important architectural footprint of Slovakia, and working in this context was an interesting challenge for which we are grateful."

From Dilapidated Hotel to Apartment Building

The original reinforced concrete structure of the three-story building was stripped down to the load-bearing skeleton during the reconstruction and statically re-engineered, particularly in the attic and basement. The greatest challenge of the project was converting the basement into residential space, including the area beneath the newly designed terrace. The terrace was originally situated directly on the ground, so it had to be extended on the sides and supplemented with a system of new foundations. The apartments here are designed as two-level units to ensure optimal clear height.

A sensitive change in architectural expression was achieved by replacing the original gable roof with a hip roof extension, which remains a dominant feature typical of traditional mountain architecture. The new roof now accommodates maisonette apartments with living galleries and recessed terraces, oriented to the south. Balconies and loggias were created around the perimeter of the building, and the enlargement of windows further opened up views of the surrounding High Tatras landscape.

The material solution also respects the object's character. A zinc-titanium cladding was used on the third floor and in the attic, while the first and second floors have a rendered façade. Despite the significant financial cost, the investor opted to restore the plinth made of massive granite blocks about 40 cm deep, the dismantling and re-laying of which represented an extraordinarily complicated stonework task.

Living with a Mountain Character

The apartments are designed in various sizes, from smaller units to maisonette apartments with gallery spaces. Within the interior, the architects defined the basic layout, space heights, and key elements, such as a material palette of neutral colors, light floors combined with wood. The furnishing and final appearance of the interiors of the individual apartments are left to the owners' individual preferences.

Parking is newly managed with grass grid paving, but the advantage lies in alternative transportation. The Tatra Electric Railway (TEŽ) is less than 100 meters away, providing easy connections to other mountain resorts and express trains to Poprad. A walkway also runs directly below the building along the Cesta slobody (Road of Freedom), stretching from Tatranská Lomnica to Tatranská Polianka.

Photographer: Matej Hakár