Type: architectural design
Architect: György Alföldi DLA, Péter Bach DLA, Csaba Kisgergely, Tamás Vörös DLA
Phase: finished, 2012
Location: Lajos Tolnai street, 8th district, Budapest (HU)
Photography: Zsolt Frikker
Publications: Divisare, Építészfórum, Magyar Építőművészet (online), Magyar Építőművészet (print)
stakeholders
developer: Budapest City Municipality of Józsefváros, District VIII., Mayor: Dr. Máté Kocsis / general contractor: RÉV8 Józsefvárosi Rehabilitációs és Városfejlesztési Zrt. / project managers: Ifj. Sándor Erdősi, Péter Szép / architects: György Alföldi DLA, Péter Bach, Csaba Kisgergely, Tamás Vörös / architect associate: Csaba Faragó / structural elements: Richárd Reisch, Balázs Takács / bulding services engineer: György Léderer / electrical construction services: Ferenc Kelemen / kitchen technology: András Gauland / fire safety: Dr. Károly Gombik / environment protection: Lajos Rodé / acoustics: Róbert Csott / garden and landscaping: Árpád Kovács, Katalin Lukács, Dominika Tihanyi, Dorottya Thurnay.
implementation
planning: 2009-2010, construction: 2011 / contractor: Épkar Zrt. / parameters: lot area: 1214 sqm / total usable area: 1067 sqm
environment
The building is located in District VIII of Budapest, on the corner of Lajos Tolnai and Bérkocsis utca. The heterogeneous street line with buildings of different heights are typical for District VIII and determines the immediate and indirect area around the lot. New blocks of six(seven) floors, old four- five-storey houses with high-ceiling apartments, institutions in municipal ownership, abandoned houses that have become life-threatening, buildings of craft activity, empty lots, fences, gardens and many more is to be found here. The intensity of the row of buildings is very diverse as well. Tightly surrounded courtyards, gardens behind open walls, industrial areas and unbroken row of buildings on the street line (without external, open corridors) alternate. Two sides of the lot are surrounded immediately by the firewall of four-five-storey high old houses and a smaller detached internal courtyard. The other two sides are open to the street. Plants – mainly trees – only grow in empty lots and in some of the bigger courtyards. The environment is diverse and heterogeneous, however because of see-through areas and unexpected space phenomena it has its unique atmosphere. The only constant thing there is the presence of change going on for several decades, sometimes at a slower, sometimes at a faster pace, and it will surely go on. The District imagined the renewal of one of its institutions in this space-time situation.
program
The population of the district – compared to other districts – has always been very versatile. Many elements of this diversity are known, and a new district identity is also under formulation by continuously breaking down the stereotypes, a well perceivable element of this is keeping the population in the district. It might have been the reason why the new day care nursery got into focus to fulfil basic health and social needs. In this part of the district there had never been a day care nursery, even though the building previously standing on the lot had been constructed for this function nevertheless has always been a kindergarten. The main function was enhanced by a new program element aiming at supporting the local disadvantaged families, mostly those mothers, who raise their children alone and are unemployed. On the basis of the area of the lot and the expected number of users a need for a day care nursery with three nursing units was expressed, with service functions and the program element “safe start” mentioned above.
needs
Architectural design was marked by the fundamental controversy that densely built urban areas and space-requiring public functions will probably always bring along. The question was how a public function with different tones and needs can be inserted into an intensively built-in row of buildings. The situation already filled with tension is not uplifted by the fact that this function is a strict system operating according to special rules and requirements. In this complex system several criteria have to be fulfilled. Apart from that, two fundamentally determinant elements will also have to play a role and are having accentuated importance compared to such flexible, small-scale units of use. The two elements are light and air, the importance of which is underlined not just by how small children we are talking about who will spend most of their days here, but also by the fact that the already existing environmental abilities are expected to change on the long term only.
The final concept can be outlined by defining the basic ideas, keeping in mind those said above. Thus the aim was to construct a building with:
(1) purpose: to be able to fulfil internal-external functional needs of nursing units, at the same time – besides the relevant space volumes – ensure healthy air and light conditions. Plus it has such direct and indirect elements that are able to manage and react to environmental impacts at all times.
(2) operation: in the defined system separating nursing, social and service functions moreover the operation of administrative and financial units. At the same time ensures all working condition requirements.
(3) environment: that is of such space and weight form that considers traditions of the area in terms of the structure, scale, form and use of material, and at the same time creating a new context from those, proceeding the uniqueness of the function.
building
From the above references we can outline a building that breaks away from the implementing requirements of a day care nursery and instead of the unfavourable orientation to the firewall it opens to the atmosphere provided by the street, thus maximising the area for solar exposure in the courtyard. It draws back from the street-line so that the main weight fits between the garden and the courtyard, exposing and separating the functions thereby on both sides. As a special asset this shift frees the neighbouring internal courtyard.
Through its shaping the building adapts to the different heights of the surroundings assuming the needs of the underlying functions on a floor-by-floor basis. By using the possibilities, access to
the lot is available from both sides on the external fronts, at the same time the internal functions may be revealed from the street in the most direct way. The garden can be formed into a secluded internal area by simultaneously expanding upwards and its airy, expanded need of use is ensured
by the building in the garden and the closed-open space. The other areas of the garden may later become green, natural “basins”. The building monochrome that still gives colourful impression and the external walls remind the spectator of raspberry ice cream {1}, the internal walls are mainly white and neutral, except the walls and furniture painted with different pigments for each group. The rooms can be adjoined and are transparent on their whole surfaces towards the courtyard, and though the “wells” aspiring upward can be well lit and aired in the expansion of time.
{1} http:/epiteszforum.hu/tisztaba-teve-uj-bolcsode-a-berkocsis-utcaban