A jury of 21 specialists in architecture, construction, and banking assisted NBS in choosing the winner.

In 1997, Slovakia's populist prime minister Vladimír Mečiar criticized the new building project as spendthrift, as part of a broader campaign against the National Bank's independence.

The tower's design architect Pavol Paňák explained: "Because this is a new, dynamic, developing republic, this building should reflect that lack of historical context".

[2] The lower horizontal part of the building houses the operational facilities of the Bank.

This part of the building is built around a central yard with a raised green area.