Ten Years of Reduction

2012/2

The Renewed Building of the Mayor’s Office in Budakeszi

Architects: Tamás Fialovszky, Benedek Sólyom Text: Tamás Karácsony Photos: József Hajdú

The Mayor’s Office in Budakeszi has a history of many layers, each of which proves to be rich in consequences when we approach them. The ten years up to the birth of the building may be interpreted as a process of reduction in more than just one sense of the word. The ten years after winning the tender was that of design bringing about the gradual decrease of the scale and volume, partly owing to rational reductions. The result is a simplified and crystallized spatial order. According to the final designs the U-shaped wing of the building integrates the rooms of inner functions, providing a familiar, intimate environment for those working here. This is reinforced by the intimate closed courtile with a delicate lane of terraces offering place for brief relaxation, informal discussions and daily meals. The rooms for client service are housed now in the new wing with two floors, whilst the board-room has been moved into the transparent space of the ground-floor thus referring to transparency, the basic condition of local governments.