Place › Bratislava /SK/
Date › 2021
Client › The City of Bratislava
Processor › Metropolitný inštitút Bratislavy
Authors › O. Nováček, S. Achberger, R. Žitňanský
Type › Urban strategy
Status › Approved
Principles and Standards of Drinking Fountains
The availability of drinking water in public space is one of the areas where Bratislava has significant room for improvement. Drinking fountains represent an ideal solution that offers multiple benefits. First and foremost, they provide clear advantages in terms of access to drinking water at sports facilities and in busy recreational areas – with water readily available, public spaces become more functional, more pleasant for spending time, and have a positive impact on residents’ health. Equally important is the gradual installation of drinking fountains in all major public spaces across the city. This is not only to improve the functionality of the spaces themselves, but also to encourage the use of refillable water bottles instead of purchasing individual, often unhealthy beverages.
In this way, drinking fountains have the capacity not only to reduce plastic waste and encourage healthier lifestyles, but also to save money for ordinary people by providing free access to quality drinking water. This document proposes principles and standards for the placement, functional and durable design, and ideal solutions for drinking fountains in Bratislava. It begins with a zoning approach for the city, which, as with other elements of public space, influences the design of drinking fountains. It is important that even such a detail as a drinking fountain fits sensibly into its surrounding context – not appearing dominant or disruptive, but instead becoming a natural and coherent part of Bratislava’s public realm.
