The buildings of the enamel works in Petržalka were designed by the German architect Heinrich Zieger (1873-1943) at the site of the original production halls, which were destroyed by fire. Zieger referred to his role as a "factory architect" and perceived it holistically - from the design of a practical layout of the machinery, through the architectural design and construction of the building, to the construction supervision (in addition to Zittau, he had a branch in Vienna and in Velké Čaníkovce, today's part of Šenkovice). On the buildings for Ungarische Email und Metallwarenfabrik, he collaborated with Wayss & Freytag, an Austrian-German firm specializing in reinforced concrete structures.
The annealing, pickling and pressing buildings had a steel skeleton, sawtooth roofs and a support system minimised to the fewest possible number of columns (atypically located at the top of the sawtooth roof), while the mill and the double hall enamel firing building have a progressive reinforced concrete construction. The double hall in particular stands out for its dimensions - 27 double arches of reinforced concrete with a span of 18.5 m and 30 m form a hall that is 139 m long. According to the period press, it was the largest reinforced concrete building in Austria-Hungary at the time. It was the most frequently published of the architect's buildings, not only in his own brochures, but also in publications by Wayss & Freytag, in the magazine Der Industriebau, and in contemporary handbooks on concrete construction. What is interesting is that it also appealed to the authors of a book on 20th century modern architecture, written almost 100 years later. After the closure of the enamel works, the buildings were incorporated into the national enterprises Kovosmalt (now demolished) and Matador. At present (2021), the buildings of the complex do not fulfil their original function and are being rented out to various companies.
Bibliography:
MÖRSCH, Emil: Wayss & Freytag A. G. & Meinong Ges. m. b. H. Beton - Eisbeton- u. Tiefbau (firemná brožúra, archív VCPD FA ČVUT). Nedatované, s. 21-23. a s. 54-56.
Die Eisenbetonhallen der Ungarischen Email – und Metallwarenfabriken A. G., Liegetfalu. Der Industriebau: Monatsschrift für die künstlerische und technische Förderung aller Gebiete industrieller Bauten, einschliesslich aller Ingenieurbauten, sowie der gesamten Fortschritte der Technik. 10, 1919, 3, s. 31– 32.
GÖSSEL, Peter – LEUTHÄUSEROVÁ, Gabriele: Architektura 20. století. 2. vyd. Bratislava, TASCHEN/Slovart 2006.
ZIEGER, Heinrich: Fabrik - Architekt und Beratender Ingenieur V. B. I : Zittau I. SA.
LAURIG, Ernst R.: Heinrich Zieger: Moderne Farbikanlagen: Heinrich Zieger: Fabrik - Architekt, Wien - ZITTAU, 1911.1922.
Beachtenswerte Neubauten des Fabrikarchitekten V. B. J. Heinrich Zieger, Zittau.Der Industriebau: Monatsschrift für die künstlerische und technische Forderung aller Gebiete industrieller Bauten. 10, 1919, 3, s. 29–37.
VON EMPERGER, Friedrich Ignaz: Handbuch für Eidenbetonbau. 2. vyd. Berlin, Verlag von Wilhelm Ernst und Sohn 1915.
