In the Slovak section of the High Tatra Mountains, a national park since 1947, world championships in classical skiing disciplines have regularly been held ever since the 1930s. For the world championships in 1970, two ski-jumps were built, with critical points of 70 m and 90 m, along with an area for cross-country events. The complex stands close to the lake of Štrbské pleso (at an elevation of 1 500 m), which has a cross-country trail running across the ice in winter months. Along with the jumps are the judging tower and the bleachers with metal seating, or the previously mentioned Hotel FIS. The architecture is worth noting for its daring structural design and dynamic slanted forms, an intriguing instance of late Czechoslovak Modernism from the 1960. These characteristic slanted and crystalline forms react to the task of the building and its setting, yet equally to contemporary architectural fashion; moreover, it was the first instance in which cross-country and downhill events were included in a single built complex. For its high quality, the complex was termed the ‘Skiing Dream’ by journalists.

Literature:
Areál zimných športov na Štrbskom Plese. Projekt 11, 1969, 5 – 6, p. 91.
KRAMÁR, Eugen: Architektúra v Tatrách. Projekt 12, 1970, 5 – 6, p. 220 – 227.
KRIVOŠOVÁ, Janka – LUKÁČOVÁ, Elena: Premeny súčasnej architektúry Slovenska. Bratislava, Alfa 1990, 200 p., p. 145.
Architektonické dielo Eugena Kramára. Katalóg výstavy. Ed. F. Konček. Bratislava, SAS 1991. [36].
ŠLACHTA, Štefan: Profesor Eugen Kramár. Projekt 33, 1991, 3, p. 34 – 37.
DRAHOVSKÝ, Martin – BÉL, Alexander: Architekt Ján Šprlák-Uličný. Martin, Neografia 1995.
DULLA, Matúš: Architektúra šesťdesiatych rokov. In: Šesťdesiate roky v slovenskom výtvarnom umení. Katalóg výstavy. SNG, Bratislava 1995, p. 304 – 319.
DULLA, Matúš – MORAVČÍKOVÁ, Henrieta: Architektúra Slovenska v 20. storočí. Bratislava, Slovart 2002, 512 p., p. 199, 428.
DULLA, Matúš: Ľahká mimobežnosť moderny a tradície. Zvláštne /či/ obyčajné polstoročie architektúry na Slovensku: 1939 – 1989. S. 123 – 157. In: Architektúra Slovenska. Impulzy a reflexia. Katalóg výstavy. Ed. Adolph Stiller, Štefan Šlachta. Wien, Verlag Anton Pustet 2003. 204 p.
ŠLACHTA, Štefan: Neznámi známi. Bratislava, SAS 2004, 240 p., p. 94, 95.
Lyžiarsky areál. DOCOMOMO národný register: Slovensko. Architektúra & urbanizmus 40, 2006, 3 – 4, p. XV. 

Photo:
Alexander Jiroušek
Source of picture: 
Department of Architecture Archive, ÚSTARCH SAV