Cvernovka: concept of cultural ecology
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
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Project Description
We established Nová Cvernovka in 2016 as a group of creatives that sought refuge after being pushed out from an old industrial site in Bratislava. We've revived a damaged school campus and made it into the largest creative hub in Slovakia and a cultural venue. Now, as a community of 450 people we seek new models of environmental and social sustainability in order to show how a concept of cultural ecology can contribute to the green transition of the city.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Which funds
Other Funds
EaSI guarantee instrument provided by European Investment Fund, supporing mechanism for banks in order to provide loans with favorable conditions to projects fulfilling social impact indicators, 2017
Description of the project
Summary
We established Nová Cvernovka in 2016 as a group of creatives that sought refuge after being pushed out from an old industrial site in Bratislava. We saw a huge potential in preserving the unique ecosystem of creative professionals and keeping it under one roof. We found new premises in a chemistry school campus owned by the municipality. It was considerably damaged, but we managed to revive it by our own means and with a big dose of enthusiasm. Soon it became the largest creative hub in Slovakia with 130 art studios and a community of 450 designers, architects, photographers, inventors, social innovators and activists. We now operate a multifunctional venue, an outdoor terrace with a podium, audiovisual studio, community garden, public playground, library, coworking space, also Artist-in-residence and Housing first programs. Nová Cvernovka has significantly enriched the city's cultural scene and contributed to reshaping of a post-industrial zone in which it is located. We spread environmental awareness by exhibitions and educational programs and inspire others by implementation of our own projects. For example, in 2020 we launched a circular project of turning the construction waste into materials used for building water permeable surfaces in a new public park. We used a similar design approach while proposing an innovative overhanging facade in order to preserve the architectural value of the former school building. With a feeling of social responsibility deeply rooted in our DNA, we seek new models of environmental and social sustainability that would bring our own concept of cultural ecology. Its purpose is to cultivate people's view on beauty and nourish more cultural relationships between them and the environment that surrounds them.
Key objectives for sustainability
We aimed for a financially sustainable model for Nová Cvernovka with keeping the rents affordable for art studios and living spaces. We handled difficult reconstruction thanks to big involvement of the community within voluntary works and investing our own financial resources into building premises of studios. We offer spaces that are 2-3 eur/m2 below the market average price which enables us to attract young and talented creative people. Our financial model allows us to subsidize some of the publicly beneficial programs for example production of cultural and educational programs. Scale and diversity of tenant structure turned out to be a solid cornerstone that helped to overcome the financial crisis during Covid pandemic.
We aimed for a social sustainable model based on involvement of the community. Despite various formal and practical requirements, Nová Cvernovka remains a grass-roots project, the foundation team is represented by people from the community and the decision making process reflects community opinions and needs. During reconstruction a strong community bond was created helping its long term (social) sustainability. Nová Cvernovka integrates people from different backgrounds, provides them with space to create and work opportunities to increase their work or personal potential.
We aimed for environmental sustainability. We follow principles of circular economy and implement solutions towards climate change adaptation. One of the examples is recycling more than 1.100 tons of construction waste and turning it into materials used for building walkable and water permeable pavements in public park. We also run projects based on exchanging and upcycling of used clothing, a community garden which also serves local bistro and a composting plant. Bistro and a local café use compostable dishes.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
Nová Cvernovka is a place where the principles of aesthetics are being applied within different projects. Whether it's a community oriented activity, new product, new building or an interdisciplinary cooperation between NGO and creative studio, the strong presence of designers, architects and visual artists brings solutions requiring higher aesthetic standards. We are primarily a cultural project. We don't see culture only in terms of cultural production. We seek beauty and our mission is cultivating the environment around us. Reconstruction of the building designed in 1948 by a well known Czechoslovak architect Vladimír Karfík, was done with respect to its original architectural values. We restored the original layout and revived the first Czechoslovak cast floor from xylolit. Unlike other business-as usual thermal insulations of old buildings in Slovakia, we proposed an overhanging facade with an intelligent shading system that preserves the outer envelope of the building. After interior reconstruction we moved to revitalization of a former school yard. We approached the architects to develop a landscape-architectural study based on the data we obtained at participatory meetings with residents of neighboring residential zones. Meanwhile, a group of architects, innovators and designers came up with an idea based on an innovative method of combining materials gained from separated waste in order to build new solid, yet water permeable surfaces in the new park. This method and materials were tested in a certified laboratory and later were presented within the “Human by Design” exhibition in the Museum of Modern Art in Vienna in cooperation with Slovak Design Centre. Later, this invention was used in new public park as a practical example of design thinking while implementing ecological solution.
Key objectives for inclusion
Nová Cvernovka is based on values of openness, transparency and democracy. We create, experiment and innovate in Nová Cvernovka. We keep trying and changing things for the better. We make them available to more and more people. We provide affordable space that connects people from different fields and from different backgrounds. We show an example of how these people can live together and it doesn't matter if we are a short-term inspiration for them or a long-term refuge. And since creative freedom also carries with it responsibility, we reject any form of oppression in our community and outside it. We use culture as a tool for sensitizing people's view on society and the environment which surrounds them. That is why we:
- Run cultural and educational programs which spread awareness about topics of inclusion/exclusion and are aimed at different sexual, ethnic or religious minorities. Our program was visited by almost 90.000 people in 3 years.
- Provide space (6 units) for the Housing first project aimed at homeless people, as the first project in Slovakia
- Employ people threatened by a loss of housing
- Financially support mothers working as freelancers in creative fields who state supports very weakly during maternity leave
- We run participation processes incorporating people from Nová Cvernovka and neighboring residential zones within the development of the center
- Have built all interior and exterior premises of Nová Cvernovka barrier-free
Results in relation to category
Our mission was to keep the creative community of 100 people together and under one roof so we would preserve the human and professional links that led to various successful projects and synergies in the past. This primary goal was exceeded several times and after moving to new premises Nová Cvernovka has become the largest and a well known creative centre in Slovakia with more than 130 studios and a community of 450 individuals. Moreover, the process of moving, fundraising and struggling with reconstruction of a considerably damaged school campus has led to even stronger bonds between people in the community. We are now an ecosystem of relationships that brought these buildings, surrounding park and garden a new purpose. We built infrastructure and professional capacity to produce public programs and provide various public functions - such as a park with playground, local design shops, bistro, café and a venue with summer terrace and podium. Nová Cvernovka is a cultural project with a strong community character which is proven by many community oriented activities - from shared garden with sauna to community and neighborhood gatherings. What is the most important, the size and the scope that the project has grown up to also binds us to responsibility towards society. Nová Cvernovka shows an inspiring example of how to create a more cultural, socially and environmentally sustainable environment in order to live a more satisfying and healthy life - in the community and the city.
How Citizens benefit
Nová Cvernovka is a project of supra-urban significance, yet its impact is mostly perceived by inhabitants of Bratislava. The way in which the project entered this neglected post-industrial zone shows mostly how to improve quality of life for the local citizens. Premises have come to life with various public functions such as public park with playground and places to meet and sit, a venue with summer terrace and podium to enjoy cultural events including exhibitions, program of public library and products of local shops, bistro and cafe. People from neighboring residential zones and Bratislava city district often participate in brigade work. The biggest impact of Nová Cvernovka could be considered by its cultural and educational program which aims at the general public and different specific target groups. As part of strengthening civic engagement, building the critical thinking and social or cultural awareness of the young generation, we cooperate with other NGOs and school institutions under the responsibility of Bratislava self-governing region. For example, we commemorate significant events of our history such as Soviet occupation in 1968 by realizing comprehensive educational events consisting of interactive exhibition, discussions and lectures for students and other experiential programs. Other exhibitions took place in Nová Cvernovka such as “Brussels dyctate" dedicated to the entry of our country to the EU, “Choice.2050” dealing with the issue of climate change or “Loading Love!” presenting the historical facts regarding LGBTI community. Almost 90.000 people attended the public program and hundreds more took part in one of its community oriented activities.
Innovative character
Nová Cvernovka is a grass-roots project like many other projects around Europe. What makes it specific is its size and diverse content. Here you can find designers, architects, visual artists, inventors, social innovators and lots of other creative professionals that freely operate and create under one roof, which is the key factor that drives the innovativeness of Nová Cvernovka in many ways. On a micro level, these interdisciplinary collaborations help individuals to come up with new ideas in order to raise their creative or business potential. On a bigger scale, co-existence of creative people who work and live in Nová Cvernovka with environmentally aware individuals and organizations brings a strong push towards innovations in energy transformation of buildings, within the operation model of the center and dramaturgy of public programs. The perfect example is an initiative of Cvernovka residents who established a platform called EcoBoard dedicated to bringing innovative ideas and environmentally friendly solutions for the campus. They developed an EcoTechnological study for energy transformation of the building. They propose various solutions in order to achieve a passive standard for the building, from green productive roofs and new facade with intelligent shading system to various small and cost effective interventions. Also, one of our key events called “NaSuti” (en: OnTheRubble) combined visual art and the topic of environmental sustainability. In 2020, Nová Cvernovka launched a project of Regenerative transformation of a former dormitory building into socalled Center for Metropolitan Innovations. In cooperation with local architects, EcoBoard and partners from Germany and Slovakia it develops a concept for the Energy active building, as the first of its kind in Slovakia. The process of integral planning with the local community will bring a socially, financially and environmentally sustainable model of urban living - first Cohousing model in Slovakia.
