Urban by Lapitec®: the material of choice for a central office in Slovakia

The sintered stone facade in the Casablanca shade adds a touch of elegance and purity to this corner of the Slovakian business district.

Lapitec® Urban slabs, specifically created for large outdoor areas, have been chosen for the new central office of the Bratislava shopping centre at the Panorama Business II complex, overlooking the Danube river. In fact, the sintered stone facade in the Casablanca shade adds a touch of elegance and purity to this corner of the Slovakian business district. With their extreme versatility and the adoption of a special installation system, the slabs are ideal for intensive use on continuous and ventilated façades. The windows have also been framed with sintered stone, creating a bright, chromatic grid effect that enhances the lines of the building, adding a light and avantgarde aesthetic to the entire project.

Architecture at the service of the environment

Close to the historic centre of Bratislava, the Slovak National Theatre and the Danube river, the Eurovea shopping centre is a key landmark in an area of the city that is undergoing rapid and intensive development. The client asked Studio GFI to draw up an innovative project, with a design focused on environmental sustainability, with the objective of creating a building that provides a high level of comfort, while at the same time optimising consumption. This is why the architects opted for a natural, large format product for the façades, which not only guarantees a homogeneous aesthetic, but also maximum workability and a softer impact on the surrounding environment.

The beauty of extra-large sintered stone slabs

The architects at the Slovenian studio felt Lapitec® was the best solution for their requirements, and the need for a completely natural, resin-free material was also a key factor in the final decision. Furthermore, the material’s ability to preserve its aesthetic and technical characteristics over time and the possibility of using large, easy-to-clean slabs that are highly resistant to atmospheric agents, UV rays, freezing temperatures and urban aggressors, like smog or graffiti, made Lapitec® the ideal external panel for the project. The central office was clad with 102, 12mm thick slabs that were cut with CNC machines and the final details were created using water jet technology. The slabs were then installed using the SIKA system. The Lapitec® slabs in Urban finish and Casablanca shade adapt perfectly to the metal structure of the façade, giving an extremely natural look to the entire complex.