Benczúr 11 Office and Residential Block, Budapest

Architects: Péter Nagy, Tamás Németh
Text: Péter Debreczeni
Photos: Tamás Réthey-Prikkel

One of the greatest values of Budapest is its integral revivalist style cityscape coupled with a varied structure and fabric. More often than not, these values, however, are also serious challenges for contemporary architects that impose limitations on new designs. It is especially true when the task is about to design a multi-unit residential building within this urban fabric which is meant to be marketed. Investors tend to treat the faculties and features of the cityscape as of secondary significance, and they prefer inexpensive prefab technologies, which reinforces the cliché that modern/contemporary architecture is insensitive to its environment, and what is more, it only produces quickly outdating buildings. The residential and office block in Benczúr Street is an example, which, despite the others, exemplifies that real-estate developments can be realized in a proper and worthy way creating values, whilst finding the balance between the new building and its environment.

Client: Pannónia Nyugdíjpénztár
Project management: Attila Csuhay – GPM Ltd.
Leading architects: Péter Nagy, Tamás Németh, Glória Papp, Zsombor Fehér – TNA Studio Ltd.
Art historian: Ferenc Bor – Hild-Ybl Építéstörténeti és Műemléki Ltd.
Garden: Edina Massány – Open Air Design Ltd.
Structure: Tamás Lengyel – Nazca Ltd., Marcell Manninger – Kokopelli Ltd.
HVAC: György Léderer – Flottbau Ltd.
Electrical engineering: Ferenc Rajkai – HPM Mérnökiroda Ltd.
Fire protection: Levente Szöllősi – Fire-Med Ltd.
Acoustics: Ferenc Kvojka – Prevenció Ltd., Róbert Csott – ’95 Apszis Ltd.
Traffic: Adrienn Horváth – Horváth Projekt Mérnökiroda
Environment protection: László Weiner – Toppedion Ltd.
Framework: Csaba Czégeni – Balaterv