PADME Science Centre, Budapest

Architects: Júlia Losonczy, Miklós Oroszlány
Text: Tamás Kiss
Photos: Balázs Danyi

Castle Hill in Buda is undoubtedly a most significant site of the country also in the architectural sense. Walking on the streets of the middle-class district we see the medieval grid of plots openly revealing the evolution of the historical periods layered on one another. The organic fabric of the city still preserves the image of the „herd and the shepherd” – that is a neat row of houses and the church spire guarding it –, with the exception of some large-scale structures. Keeping the organic communication with the man-made environment, the house at No. 72 Úri Street was renewed so as to suit itt o contain the centre of Pallas Athéné Domus Meriti Alapítvány (PADME) and house its educational, science and cultural functions. The past of the building can be easily traced up till now since the Middle Ages. Completed in 2021, this reconstruction project followed the evidences of architectural approaches in the Castle District: in the section of the building towards Úri Street the Baroque-Revivalist style has been restored based on authentic data including such details as the bracketed framed windows and pilasters of the upper storey. Projecting from the cube of the former block, the mass facing Tóth Árpád Promenade primarily reveals a simpler, eclectic style of the post-war era. In the interior the staircase wedged into the yard was demolished and new ones were built to connect the various levels. A lightweight glass roof was placed over the formerly open yard made up of blade-like ribbed triangular glass panels. The upper storeys are tourable and permeable, the corridors are connected with a bridge arching over the courtyard.

Client: Pallas Athéné Domus Meriti Foundation
General architecture: GINKGO-Zöld Architects
Leading architects: Júlia Losonczi, Miklós Oroszlány
Fellow architects: Wide Perspectives
Interior designers: Anikó Preisich, Tibor Somlai – Somlai Design Studio
Fellow interior designer: András Molnár
Framework: Géza Kapovits, Dániel Heincz – Artheseus Ltd.
Glass structure: Viktor Esztergályos – Frontoplan Ltd.
HVAC: Péter Nógrádi, Dániel Dobos – HANO-PLAN Ltd.
Electrical engineering: Krisztina Sindelyesné Balla – Újlaki Tervezőiroda Ltd.
Weak current, AV systems: Sándor Csia, Olivér Nagy – Complex IT Ltd.
Structure: Gábor Bimbó – STR-Design Ltd.
Automatic systems: Gyula Kerek, László Paragi – IBMS-Plan Ltd.
Fire protection: Lajos Horváth – Prelko Ltd.
Acoustics, environment protection: András Kotschy – Kotschy Ltd.
Monument history manager: Sándor Deli
Building research: Ferenc Bor, Péter Farbaky, Tímea Tóth – H-Y Ltd.
Archaeology: György Terei, Tibor Várkár
Monument history expert: Kornél Baliga