Reconstruction and Extension Project, Szolnok Artists’ Colony

Architects: Árpád Álmosdi, Mónika Csendes
Text: Nóra Ostoróczky
Photos: Ártér Architects

The Artists’ Colony in Szolnok is undergoing extensive changes affecting daily life, which means that two existing strudio houses have been reconstructed and the complex with a unique atmosphere is also being extended by adding new parts. The site itself is unique compared to all the other artists’ colonies as it is not situated far away from the town: quite the contrary, it is located almost in the centre, and this lives in a symbiosis with its urban context. During this sereies of conversions and transformations one of the priorities was to maintain active communal life and the presence of towndwellers. Spaces also open to them are thus focussed on the south-facing side, and in a later stage a new Exhibition House will be built here to contain spare rooms for guests to stay, space for events and exhibitions as well. As a forerunner of this project, there was a look-out tower built in 1905 from stones of the former castle in the wake of local artists’ activities, which received now a new roofing to contain a space suited for the new function: to host chamber exhibitions. The series of spaces suitable for creative work is concentrated on the northern side of the artists’ colony constructed in 1902, and there are also two workshop buildings for sculptors and graphic artists respectively. These two brand new parts create a more intimate space from the direction of the river Zagyva separated from the visitors of the would-be castle promenade to suit the needs of artists living and creating their works of art here.

Architects: Mónika Csendes, Árpád Álmosdi – Ártér Architects
Fellow architects: Anna Balogh Tóth, Gabriella Szabó, Norbert Sipos, Gabriella Váczi, Krisztina Bencze
Interiors: Mónika Csendes, Árpád Álmosdi, Anna Balogh Tóth
Structure: László Zakar, István Bózsvári
HVAC: Attila Nagy
Electrical engineering: Attila Nagy, Róbert Tóth
Fire protection: Zsolt Máté
Landscape: Zsuzsanna Giczy B.
Traffic: László Zakar
Soil mechanics: Tamás Vermes
Time-wheel: György Szabó sculptor
Bronze works: Fábián Baráth sculptor
Investor: Municipality of Szolnok City