Architects: PESCHKA Alfréd, ÖCSI Gabriella DLA
The laboratory building, which had been vacant for years, was given a second life through reconstruction. The building was converted into premises suitable for tuition, postgraduate education and special training, as well as a student hostel. The transformation required only minimal extension, the reconstruction design, while modernizing the building, preserved its unique architectural features and original character.
The former office and laboratory building, located at the corner of Aga Street and Tardoskedd Street in the XI. district of Budapest, has been vacant for ten years. The simple, four-story building with a logical plan was designed at IPARTERV between 1975-76, its lead architect was Rimanóczy Jenő. The architectural limitations, derived from the rational floor plan suitable for the laboratory function and the use of the precast concrete UNIVÁZ type structure widespread at that time, have been relaxed by the semicircular staircase, which is a unique feature of the building. The facade and the roofing have deteriorated significantly over time, but the condition of the supporting structure has remained suitable for preservation and served as a reliable reference system for the reconstruction design.
Nowadays, stopping wastefulness and sustainable operation are increasingly important in all areas of life. Adapting to these principles has become also the primary responsibility and task of architects. The laboratory building, which had been vacant for years, was given a new function and a second life through reuse. The reconstruction was commissioned by the Hungarian Management Training Foundation to provide rooms suitable for tuition, special college training and postgraduate education, as well as a student hostel. The transformation required only minimal extension, the reconstruction design, while modernizing the building, preserved its unique architectural features and original character.
One of the guiding principles of the floor plan design was to place the communal areas in easily accessible locations and separate them from the residential units. By demolishing the existing, outdated elevator and relocating the new one, a spacious, continuous space for communal functions has been created on each floor, directly connected to the vertical circulation core. On the ground floor, close to the entrance, a shared chapel is located, while on the upper floors there is a gym, a communal kitchen, a library and study rooms for the convenience of the residents. On the fourth floor there is a large lecture hall for 50 people, where training, various group sessions and educational activities can take place. The hall can be flexibly furnished, thus providing a multi-purpose venue for the residents of the hostel or those coming for lectures. On the top floor, the untidy outdoor HVAC units have been removed and the offices of the hostel have been built, set back from the plane of the facade. The offices and the lecture hall are also directly connected to the roof terrace, which surrounds the block of rooms. The fourth floor extension has been built with a lightweight structure to put the least possible extra load on the original supporting structure. The top floor rooms have large glass surfaces and offer a picturesque view towards Gellért Hill. The residential quarters of the hostel are arranged on two sides of the building’s asymmetrical central corridors. The wider side facing the garden contains single rooms, while the narrower south-west side has double rooms, both types with private bathrooms. The building can accommodate a total of 55 people, one of the rooms is accessible.
The residential rooms have new aluminum strip windows with masonry parapets, running along the entire facade. This facade system follows the proportions and character of the original facade, providing as much natural light as possible. The structure of private zones and communal spaces can also be easily distinguished in the design of the facade. The characteristic glass box of the staircase is made even more attractive by a filigree aluminum profile curtain wall. The fourth-floor extension creates a more open visual effect, dominated by steel supporting structures, sheet metal cladding and large, continuous glass surfaces.
The building was already surrounded by an intensive green area in its original state, and preserving this played a particularly important role in the landscape architecture design concept. A multifunctional garden has been created to meet the needs of the hostel residents.
Location: Budapest XI. Aga utca 6. Built: 2024 Architects: PESCHKA Alfréd, ÖCSI Gabriella DLA Associate architects: LIBERTINY Anna, MOLNÁR Tibor József, SZABÓ László (DOB60 Építészek Kft), Structural engineers: VÁCZI Péter, DOBRÁTER Béla (Dobráter Bt.) Electrical engineers: RITZL András, MÁRAMAROSI András, GÁSPÁR Péter (GSTR Kft.), HARMATH László (IQ Kft.) HVAC engineers: SZAKÁL Szilárd, RÉTI János, VIRÁG Zoltán (Duoplan Kft.) Structural details: HORVÁTH László (Estrad Építésziroda Bt.) Landscape architects: MOHÁCSI Sándor, BALOGH Fanni (S73 Kft.) Area: 1.575 m2
