02. Mai 2010 - Architekturarchiv Ungarn
By 2003 the need for a reconstruction had become realistic for several reasons. On the one hand, the general condition of the building was degraded and, on the other hand, it had to be made ready to meet the demands of today’s university life and level of comfort. There had not been any overall rehabilitation in the life of this more than 35 year-old building. Besides renovating the construction of the building, its engineering needed a complete reconstruction on the level of today’s technology. When determining the conceptual principles it was very important to review the functional system of the building according to the modern architectural principles. The layout of the original building was not very generous with the communal spaces and it damaged its character as a campus. Beyond education the building did not provide its users with adequate spaces. The original functional system did not make it possible for people to relax or to have a discussion and it was not possible to organize various events without minor problems. Rectifying this became our guiding principle when determining the principles of reconstruction. During the decades the number of students has been multiplied.
Therefore the primary aim of the reconstruction was not the enlargement of the basic area but the transformation and development of the existing ones, a quality change.
The planned enlargement focuses on the communal spaces. The determining mass that appears as a new building is placed along the western side of the existing building and forms a new entrance providing the assembly hall with a representative opening. Creating this new building we opened a new entrance, doubled the space of the assembly hall and made space for two lecture rooms.
The space in front of the assembly hall is developed as an integral part and an extension of the hall summarizing everything that formed the basic principle of our concept from its beginning to the realization of it. The campus itself, the forum is realized here on this square leading to the opening of the assembly hall. The building that had not really been suitable to hold events in the past was completed with a transitory space making it able to host any major event in the enlarged assembly hall and outside, too.
Developing this thought further we designed the second floor of the „forum“, the roof terrace on the top of the enlargement covered with wooden plank. The ground made it possible to hide the northern corner of the new building in the side of the hill making the connection with the roof garden possible. (architects' text)
