The foundation stone of the third building of the Matica slovenská in Hostihora was laid on 4 August 1963 to mark the centenary of its foundation. Construction of the building began in 1964 based on architectural designs by Dušan Kuzma and Anton Cimmermann, who tried to embody the essence of the Slovak architecture of their time even in their drawings. The architects combined a simple and clear set of materials with the latest architectural techniques to achieve an effect of monumentality appropriate for an institution of national importance and the first large library building to be erected in Slovakia since the Second World War. The building was completed twelve years after the laying of the foundation stone. The design exploits the contrast between the horizontal base and atrium and the height of the tower. It was built using the lift slab method, in which all the ceilings are cast as concrete slabs at the basement level. These concrete slabs are then raised up starting from the lowest level. When the ceiling reaches the desired height, pre-cast concrete columns are inserted, to which the ceilings are then attached. At the time of construction, this method was widely used in the USA, Canada and Western Europe. In building the Slovak National Library, the architects cooperated with the civil engineers Fráno and Dukát, whose main responsibility was to ensure that the required technological procedures were followed.

The library building currently consists of two parts. It is 42 metres tall with 16 floors, of which 2 are below ground level. The length of the building is 110 metres. The lower floors of the library house the public reception areas and staff offices. The high-rise section is used as a depository. 

The entire building is clad with precast concrete. Grooved plates were installed on the base of the building. The high-rise section is distinguished by the architect-designed brises soleil. Their role is not only aesthetic, but also practical, because they are supposed to protect the deposited book collections.

The interior of the building was designed by architects Vojtech Vilhan and Gabriela Cimmermannová. The dominant colours are white, orange, grey-blue and green, in combination with the rustproof cladding of the columns. With their bold approach and unconventional colours and details, the architects succeeded in creating a rich and vibrant space for the library. The emotional effect is reinforced by works of art that are not mere decorations but an integral part of the building’s architecture. 

SNL Building in Numbers:

Height: 42 m 

Length: 110 m (the men’s world record for this distance over hurdles is 12.8 s) 

Built-up space: 5,832 m²

Usable space: 27,000 m² (approximately three football pitches) 

Ceiling thickness: 22 cm

Number of windows (horizontal section): 486 

Wallpaper: 4,000 m²

Number of precast concrete blocks: approx. 5,000 precast blocks in 160 different sizes

Shelf length: 72 km (approximate distance between the towns of Martin and Liptovský Mikuláš) 

Price of construction: KČS 75,000,000 

Price of interior furnishings: KČS 20,000,000