Architect: POTTYONDY Péter
The distinctively formed tematic hotel – owing to the investor’s personal relationship with West Africa – evokes the characteristics of the Sudano-Sahelian architectural style, the vernacular art of Mali and the rediscovered and newly popular mud architecture. Interfaces had to be identified to make African architecture explainable and acceptable at the foot of the Bükk Mountains. Due to the precisely defined requirements of the client, the design that exceeded hotel stereotypes, the competent construction and the professional, guest-focused operation, this strange project has become one of the most visited four star hotels in Hungary.
The steeply sloping hotel plot of more than 40,000 m2 is located on a hill above the village, its most valuable feature is the beautiful, wooded environment. Besides the local building regulations, the location and layout of the building has been determined by the maximal protection of the extraordinary, large oak trees. The result is a monolithic, yet spreading spatial composition, where every guest room and communal area offers an unhindered view of the surrounding natural forest. The hotel has been built in several phases. There are altogether 96 guest rooms of different types on two or three floors, a conference hall, a restaurant, a bar, relaxation and wellness services, outdoor and indoor pools, and a spa with saunas. The guest and service traffic of the hotel are separated, and access is provided on different levels, due to the steepness of the access road. The parking areas have been established in groves, with the trees preserved. The energy requirements of the hotel are met by modern energy saving systems along with the traditional water and power supply. Heating and hot water are provided by a high-performance double chamber pellet boiler, supplemented by solar panels installed on the large flat roof of the reception building.
The scale of the complex hotel room wing is similar to a Hungarian village, but it resembles the houses of the West African villages as well, with its apparently haphazardly protruding parts of different size. The taller public wing, with its elevated parts and screenwall elements, rises above the accommodation area and becomes a real community center. The silhouette of the whole building – similarly to a small African village – presents a unified image. Besides the varied mass of the building and the three towers marking the main entrance, the most characteristic elements of the building are the African-style timber beams projecting from the facade, supporting balconies and shading tarpaulins and the hand-plastered look of the desert red sand coloured walls resembling mud architecture. The interior of the building is characterized by black and white wall painting with the haphazard look of craftwork, sand-mixed yellow resin flooring, simple sculpted details of plaster, coloured wall protrusions, printed African textiles and the varied appearance of decorative and functional elements made of driftwood.
Location: Felsőtárkány, Bükkerdő sétány
Built: 2011, 2013
Architect: POTTYONDY Péter
Associate architects: TARCALI László, POTTYONDY Bence, SZABÓ Orsolya
Interior architect: Barna Design
Landscape architect: HAVASSY Gabriella
Area: 6900 m2