MOME Workshop House, Budapest

Architects: Zsófia Csomay, Tamás Németh
Text: Bálint Botzheim
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

Back in 1952 – just when the College of Applied Arts moved to Zugligeti Road – it was clear that the existing building shall not have enough capacity to contain all the necessary functions. The lack of an integral venue has been a feature of the whole history of the institution, but they only started to seriously tackle this issue from 2006 on. Accordingly, designs had been made by Zsófia Csomay and Tamás Németh since 2010. By further extending the programme, the task at present is about designing a Technology Park containing several buildings to house not only the workshops, but also studios associated with media majors and labs for architects to create objects and spaces. The construction of the Workshop House as the engine of the whole development was launched back in 2014. Positioning the structure itself was mainly decided by taking into consideration its relations with the yard and the central building respectively. The mass of the building is basically a black box which in its present form also contains the archetypal form of a factory with its spatially elevated block of communication and services and its roof sloping upward towards the back. The dark palette of the brick facework has a raw untreated texture which in turn brings the building closer to nature. The functional configuration is also legible from the mass: the original quadratic 20×20 scheme has been preserved for the workshop, which is joined by a higher unit containing the stairways, whereas the workshop houses the entry areas and water zones. The exposed concrete stairway is precisely elaborated considering all details, much in the same way as pieces of furniture are as a rule. The roof deck will most certainly be a place popular with students as it compensates for the area taken from the yard with spectacular views.

Leading architects: Péter Reimholz (2008–2009), Zsófia Csomay, Tamás Németh (2010–2015)
Fellow architects: Mátyás Magyari, Csongor Szijjártó
Landscape: Borbála Gyüre – Geum Tájépítész Kft.
Structure: László Szőnyi – Geon Kft.
Electrical engineering: Ferenc Rajkai – Hungaroproject Mérnökiroda Kft.
HVAC: János Kabak – CAD-Controll Plan Kft.
Technology: István Cséfalvay – IGA Kft.
Fire protection: Levente Szöllősi – Fire-Med Bt.
Environment: László Weiner – Toppedion Kft.
Acoustics: dr. Elekné Karsai
Frameworks: Sándor Horváth, Heléna Szecskő – Pataky és Horváth Építésziroda Kft.
Main contractor: CET Budapest Kft.