The Calvinist Church, Újpalota, Budapest

Architect: Balázs Kertész
Text: Tamás Kiss
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

In the early 2000s, the Calvinist community started to evolve in Pestújhely and Újpalota, which soon brought about the need for a church of their own. Design process launched in 2015 followed a programme clearly phrased by the congregation whilst allowing architect Balázs Kertész to plan the forms freely to his liking. The site is surrounded as a ring by the homogenuous orderly cluster of point houses reaching for the skies in a strict military manner. The building comes forth with a sculpturesque exterior design from the foliage of its environment. Its formation is the result of a certain type of simple, technicist spirit reflecting to the puritanism of ecclesiastic buildings with a rationalism continuing the rigid manners of the pre-fab blocks. The gradually rising facades clad in anthracite colour metal sheets defined by the disciplined rhythm of slit-like openings that pierce the whitewashed wall expanses are crowned by a soaring tower at the southern corner of the building. The church square conveys an exciting, almost tactile atmosphere.

Architect: Balázs Kertész
Assistant architect: András Koncsol
Interior designer: Petra Tóth
Glass textile windows: Andrea Hegedűs
Structural expert: István Szabó – MATERV Magasépítési Tervező Kft.
HVAC: János Bukovics – B-TERV 2000 Bt.
Electrical engineering: Zoltán Ivanics – PROVILL Kft.
Metal roof: Richárd Reisch – FRT Raszter Kft.
Fire protection: László Hársfalvi