Architects: TOMPOS Csaba, RADVÁNYI Katalin
The building, originally of an E-shape layout, has been built in the protected botanical garden of the university, where new buildings can be built only to replace a demolished one, and even then only within the same contour. The laboratories are accommodated in parallel wings on terraces of the steep hillside, while the perpendicular part provides accessible connection between them.
The building has been built in the campus of the Sopron University (at that time it was called the University of West Hungary), in a protected nature reserve. The research laboratory complex was built on existing terraces of the sloping terrain, in place of demolished buildings, connected to the existing training workshop hall. Three wings have been constructed parallel to the contour lines of the hill and the longitudinal axis of the hall, creating an open arrangement with two internal courtyards on the southeast side. A perpendicular connecting part at the northwestern end of the building, which accommodates the main entrances of the laboratory wings as well, provides easy connection for pedestrians and service vehicles between the wings, and it constitutes the shortest access route to any part of the complex.
The existing hall has been architecturally refurbished and upgraded to the quality of the new parts of the building. The training workshop with its connected units has remained, as well as the laboratories for energetics and the required storerooms. The wing located on the middle terrace belongs to the Faculty of Wood Sciences, it accommodates the laboratory of wood technology on three floors, with a training workshop and a laboratory for energetics. The exit of the laboratories that are functionally related to the training workshop is in the courtyard between the laboratory wing and the training workshop wing. The laboratories containing fume hoods are located on the third floor, ensuring direct vertical ventilation for the fume hoods. The laboratory building of the Faculty of Forestry is located on the bottom terrace, with a basement and three upper storeys. Access to the laboratory complex by transport vehicles is provided from the road running parallel with the longitudinal axis of the laboratory wings to a service entrance with a 1600 kg freight elevator. The preserved Szent Borbála mine-shaft is also located here. Those laboratories dealing with heavy physical load (soil mechanics laboratory) or have transport difficulties (furniture testing laboratory) are situated in the basement of the complex, it would have been very problematic to install them on the upper storeys. The garage is located at the southeastern end of this wing. The building complex is connected, through a corridor equipped with a fire door opening from the training workshop hall, to an existing, refurbished, three storey high, saddle roofed university building with laboratories, located in Honvéd Street.
Owing to local environment protection regulations, the building has in-situ and prefabricated reinforced concrete structure, the external walls are made of insulated wall panels and there is an aluminium-glass curtain wall system on certain parts of the facade. The external doors and windows are made of aluminium, with insulated glazing. Shading is provided by aluminium-timber shading structures and external aluminium window blinds.
Location: Sopron, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky utca 4. Built: 2012 Architects: TOMPOS Csaba, RADVÁNYI Katalin Associate architect: VARGHA Júlia Interior architect: KERECSÉNYI Zsuzsa Landscape architect: HAVASSY Gabriella Area: 5665 m2
