Győr, Dunakapu Square

Architect: Mihály Kádár
Text: Mária Tatai
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

Overlooking the riverbank of Győr, the square named Danube Gate was revived in 2015. It appears somewhat abandoned during the week but is quite busy in the evenings, on Sundays and holidays as it is a venue for a variety of events, festivals, fairs and proms. From here a wide subway leads us down to the level of the Danube. In the south-eastern part of the square there is an underground garage and the entries to the auxiliary rooms of the podium-like stage, which looks like a sculpturesque geometric mound that bulges out of the terrain. We may find our way into the underground spaces winding among the gently sloping roof expanses made of Corten steel to go inside this hill. The longitudinal side of the square is mainly occupied by a spatial wall pierced with intervals wedged between the typically two-storey Baroque style houses with tall roofs. A new building to house care-taking functions was built right in its middle to replace a demolished house on the site: the new structure is actually an accentuated counterpoint to both the facade of the square and the spatial front. The formative design of the elegant building with its contemporary streamlined contours, the materials used and the mature structural solutions have been applied here: they are matched with fine proportions, scales and details which are well justified, without exception.

Plans:
General architecture: IN-GA Konzorcium (Garten Studio, Incorso Kft.)
Leading architect: Mihály Kádár
Fellow architects: Balázs Kiss, Szabolcs Kiss, Péter Sebestyén
Structure: János Volkai, Balázs Marót
HVAC: Tamás Vörös
Electrical engineering: Gabriella Bukta Vilmosné
Landscape: György Szloszjár, Gabriella Vastag
Client: Győr Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzata

Execution plans:
General architecture: ATLAS Engineer Consulting Hungary Kft.
Leading architect: Szilvia Könözsi
Fellow architects: Gábor Rónaszéki, Péter Gönye, Csilla Szántó
Structure: László Szántó
HVAC: Tamás Vörös
Electrical engineering: Gabriella Bukta Vilmosné
Client, main contractor: Dunakapu Tér és Rakpart Konzorcium