Nursery, Zákány

Architect: András Greg
Text: Péter Zilahi
Photos: András Greg

Despite its small scale, this village in Somogy county runs both a school and a kindergarten. Its inhabitants look to the future with some palpable optimism; they believe in some kind of sustainable concept of development. The need to build a new nursery is welcome news in the life of any community. And the location of the former nursery and the land available for its construction have made the location of its implementation self-evident. Essentially, there could be no better place for the new facility than in a courtyard shared with the kindergarten. The formulation of the new building is an interesting aspect, despite the clear potential of installation. The declared objective was to formulate an ambitious building that was not alien to the site. The tension between the plane of the front yard between the fence and the house is relieved by two white cubic volumes. They also come to function as the bastions of the external space for activities. The masonry is made of insulated brick, so that the taut white façade is not an illusory one but an actually shaped volume. The large south-south-east opening in the group room is softened by a colourful perforated shade, softening the otherwise strong and piercing light conditions. However, even when shaded, the room does not become dark, as circular overlights further brighten the interior.

Client: Municipality of Zákány
Architecture: Rag Építészműhely
Leading architect: András Greg DLA
Structure: Balázs Kokas DLA
Framework: István Brandmüller
HVAC: Szabolcs Vigh
Electrical engineering: József Horváth
Fire protection: Éva Varga
Public utilities: Péter Kerécz
Soil mechanics: Tamás Gyöngyösi
Geodesy: Gyula Kéri
Rehabilitation expert: Alíz Mayerné Gyenes