In the 1940s, the architectural studio led by Michal Maximilián Scheer worked on a project for the Slovak Paper Mill in Ružomberok. The main task was to revitalise and modernise the factory, while not only designing the production facilities, but also flats and houses for the workers. These were built along the Tatranská cesta road. The houses bear several features of interwar architecture, which were still present in Scheer's work in the early 1940s. These are mainly glass staircases and round windows on the facades, but also flat roofs on the tops of these residential buildings. On a typical floor, there are four two-room flats.
In 1942, the main factory hall was built based on Scheer’s projects, but its original production function was changed in 1946, shortly after the war. Again, it was Scheer who was given the task to modify the hall for administrative purposes. He divided the space with glass partitions in wooden frames for offices. However, this original solution, which has optically unified the former production space of the hall, was destroyed in fire in the 1960s.
The work of M. M. Scheer for the paper mill in Ružomberok is exceptional in every way, not only in the formal aspect, but also thanks to the construction system of a monolithic reinforced concrete frame with an inserted perimeter brickwork cladding and large-scale glazing.
Bibliography:
Michal Scheer. Architektonická tvorba 1925 – 1975. Katalóg výstavy. Ed. Klára Kubičková. Nitra, Galéria F. Studeného, ONV a MNV 1984.
Michal Maximilián Scheer. Architektonické dielo. Katalóg výstavy. Ed. Klára Kubičková. Bratislava, SAS a SNG 1993. 36 s., tu s. 28.
DULLA, Matúš – MORAVČÍKOVÁ, Henrieta: Architektúra Slovenska v 20. storočí. Bratislava, Slovart 2002. 512 s., tu s. 407.
