In 1935, Bohuslav Fuchs won the competition for the reconstruction of the Trenčianske Teplice spa center. In his proposal, he convinced the jury of the need to move the center of gravity of the spa center from the valley to the sunny southern slope above the present city. However, the construction of artificial terraces, accessible by elevators and escalators, was an extremely demanding project, both technically and financially. The then director of the spa, Jaroslav Topinka, therefore decided that the implementation would take place in stages; the first - and only - stage was the construction of the Summer Swimming Pool. The architect located the swimming pool in an abandoned quarry with a water spring, locally called Na Zelenej žabe, which he enthusiastically described as "a wonderfully dazzled and well-tempered place by southern winds". Compared to the competition proposal, the implementation project underwent significant changes, mainly related to the expansion of the functional content of the area. In addition to a pool with water polo parameters, it was to include a children's pool, changing rooms, areas for massages and other health or aesthetic services, as well as restaurant facilities. In the late 1930s, Fuchs also designed a bowling alley, which expanded the range of attractions on the site.
He situated the entire complex on the contour of the slope. He placed the main pool in the quarry area, from which he developed the main object of the swimming pool. In addition to shared changing rooms and changing rooms, visitors could also rent separate cabins, which the architect connected to the main block in the form of a slender two-story wing, ending with an elegant spiral staircase. The circular children's pool is complemented by a small pavilion intended for supervision and a first-aid doctor's room.
Fuchs was able to exceptionally harmoniously harmonize the variety of forms, materials used, colors and structures. At the same time, classical compositional principles can also be read here: the vertical division of the facades goes from massive cyclopean masonry and coarsely structured brizolite plaster, through floors with vertical reinforced concrete columns and airy terraces, to a restaurant with a counter roof dominated by wood and glass sliding windows. The artistic dimension of the architecture is also completed by the works of Ulelek in the interiors - in the restaurant a mural by František Kaláb and in the bar a photo wallpaper of the High Tatras by Karol Plicka, as well as the lighting of the pool with spotlights submerged under the water surface. The value of this Fuchs Gesamtkunstwerk has been appreciated since its inception, and in 1995 the area was declared a national cultural monument. Despite this, the swimming pool was closed after just a few years due to neglected maintenance. The renovation, which took place after more than a decade of disrepair, unfortunately also led to the loss of some of its authenticity. The most significant intervention was the introduction of modern water park attractions into the original pool, as well as the inappropriate creation of VIP zones. The renovated Green Frog thus lost not only a large part of the elegance of Fuchs' poetic functionalism, but also the social dimension of the modern movement.
Peter Szalay