Studio Fragment

Description

The project is an extension of a locally listed medical university building dating from the early 1900s. The site stretches between two streets in the so-called «palace quarter» of Budapest, which contains palatial mansions as well as important cultural and educational institutions mainly built in nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The new volume and the existing building form one coherent complex. The basic design principles are based on and were developed from the dialogue with the existing building. The addition creates a completed inner courtyard. The two buildings are connected on all levels and the interior spaces are organised by a central atrium which is the main spatial element of the new wing. The atrium is a modern repetition of the old one. Community spaces surround the atrium and a visual connection to the inner courtyard is created on each level that gives an airy feeling on the interior. The building follows and captures the strong axiality and characteristic rhythm of the façades of the neighbourhood buildings. The zig-zag geometry, for example, evokes the shadow effects of historical structures and gives the building a two-faced appearance in the narrow street. A combination of smooth and textured precast concrete elements articulates the façade, which matches the colour of the existing building. On both the street and courtyard façades, the grid is an abstraction that follows the building’s own structure and subtly responds to the heritage architecture.