CU BEGINS RENOVATING THE SECOND BLOCK OF THE ĽUDOVÍT ŠTÚR DORM
Bratislava, 30 April 2024: Comenius University Bratislava (CU) announced the continuation of renovations at the Ľudovít Štúr Dormitory. The renovation could no longer be postponed due to the state of disrepair of the buildings.
The largest Slovak university dorm complex in Mlynská dolina was built between 1969 and 1977 and has been serving students for about 50 years. Some of its buildings no longer meet current demands and expectations. The present management of the university planned to begin the renovations of the Ľudovít Štúr Dorm as soon as it took office in 2019. However, these plans were disrupted by insufficient design documentation, the pandemic, and the energy crisis. In the past, universities in Bratislava were not eligible for European funding and the dorms accumulated an enormous investment debt.
"When our management took over the dormitories, they were in a pitiful state. The renovation should have happened a long time ago. Once the pandemic was over, we were hoping that this investment would become one of the government's priorities. However, we have reached a situation where we have no choice but to begin renovating using our own resources while simultaneously looking for other financing options." said Marek Števček, rector of CU. "Some accommodation capacity will be temporarily lost during the renovation work, but we’ll make sure we can accommodate as many guests as possible. In its present state, this building would no longer be safe to operate.”
CU has invested 10,348,523.84 Eur into dorm upgrades. The Ľudovít Štúr Dormitory ("Štúrak") is the university’s largest student accommodation facility. It consists of two interconnected high-rises - Block A and Block B. Renovation of Block A is currently underway. During Stage 1, which has just been completed, all building utilities, bathrooms and central heating were replaced. Stage 2 will involve insulating the roof, facades, and replacing all windows and balcony doors. Renovation of Block B is starting now and will proceed in stages, just like Block A.
The work will start after the summer semester. Students can stay on campus until their current contracts expire at the end of June. In this academic year, the university accommodated all applicants. The university is currently contacting partner organizations and it will offer students tips on alternative accommodation options in case its own capacity is insufficient.
Comenius University management is convinced that it will be possible to save the largest dorm complex in Slovakia and that once the renovations are completed, accommodation will be available at affordable prices to as many students as possible.