Development of New Public Buildings in Slovakia and Their Universal Accessibility: Architectural Design Competition as a Tool for Selecting the Best Design

The article discusses public buildings in Slovakia and two important topics that are inseparably linked to public buildings as such - the process of their creation as a public investment and universal design. We explore the possibilities of fulfilling this principle in the Slovak context - by selecting an architectural design through public procurement in the form of a business competition or through an architectural design competition, and we compare these approaches. The second essential principle is that any public building must be accessible to everyone without restrictions, which means that it should be designed and constructed according to universal design principles. We analyse the legislative and normative tools of universal design in Slovakia, based on key connections to international standards. The article examines the phenomenon of the mentioned architectural design competitions. The example of good practice - both in terms of selecting public investment through an architectural design competition and in terms of solutions adhering to universal design principles - represents a case study of the New Town Hall in Leopoldov. The conclusion summarises the findings from the research and makes key recommendations for stakeholders involved in the process, policymakers, public investors, and architects. The research methods used include content analysis, statistical analysis, comparison, and case study.