Bratislava opens airport-type bus station

The new Nivy station features shopping and catering zones, and a green roof with gardens, a running track and equipment for active recreation and sport

After years of construction, Bratislava’s Nivy bus station will be inaugurated on 30 September with a free programme for adults and children including a swing band playing live, developer HB Reavis has announced. The modern airport-type bus terminal replaces the old bus station at the same location – the strategic Mlynské nivy Street. During the reconstruction works bus traffic has been served by a temporary station on the nearby Bottova Street.

Green roof with extras

Billed by the investor as the most beautiful and modern gateway to the Slovak capital, the new station features shopping and catering zones, and a spectacular green roof the size of two football pitches with gardens, a running track and equipment for active recreation and sport.

The new bus station will be of an airport type with 36 platforms (11 used by long-distance and international lines and 25 for intercity connections), seven exits and 86 bus stops offering wheelchair access. The station is equipped with nine LCD TV panels, a large airport-type LED wall and several self-service touch kiosks, allowing the arrival and departure of buses to be monitored in real time.

Easily accessible

The station is accessible for both public and private transport, and has an underground parking area with 2,150 parking spaces. HB Reavis assures that comfortable access is provided also for cyclists and pedestrians.

The station area is located underground on the first basement floor. Despite this fact, a powerful, 60,000 m3 per hour air-conditioning system ensures proper microclimate regardless of the season. On the same floor passengers can also visit shops, drugstores and fast food restaurants.

Other essential facilities include luggage storage, lost property, information desks, zones for families with children, and rooms for changing and breastfeeding. The waiting area with benches offers 80 seats with charging sockets for telephones or laptops. There is a free Wi-Fi network throughout the station.

Safety first

Frequenters remember the dark corners of the old station that they tried to steer clear of. Addressing this concern, the new station has been designed in such a way as to avoid any nooks and crannies, making for a smooth and safe passage. The entire area is under camera surveillance. The feeling of security is further enhanced by the presence of a police station within the Nivy complex.

Construction of the Nivy complex commenced in May 2017 with work on the 125 m office building called Nivy Tower, while the overhaul of the old bus station on Mlynské nivy began five months later.