The new office building of Graphisoft Park, Óbuda

Architects: András Vikár, István Lukács 
Text: Mária Tatai 
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

Located in Óbuda, the information centre celebrating its 20th anniversary this year is an island of peace and tranquillity with its university, creative and work places. It is being extended non-stop, but luckily has managed to preserve its integrity so far. Its most recent structure, the headquarters of SAP Hungary Ltd. is positioned at the entrance side of the Park. Because of its scales, dimensions, proportions and outer design it may as well be regarded as the emblematic image-building of the site. Three factors may have played key-roles in creating the design of the complex: the spirituality of the park itself, the philosophy of the company building it, and last but not least the experience and expertise of its architects. The mass of the building is articulated by three-dimensional rectangles perpendicularly intersecting each other that make up a firm base for the whole structure, whilst the playful overall design makes its simple appearance quite dynamic by the alternating heights of the substructures and the patterns made up by the decks and loggias. The facade design of the two-storey building is defined by the proportions of the brick architecture used for both the facework and the glazed surfaces. Brick evokes the building material of the oldest structures in the area and also integrates the most recent architectural addition to the neighbouring structures. With an elegant gesture, the windbreak was separated with a slanting glass partition. In the foyer delicately broken lines and traceries, transparency and a palette of light colours come to dominate. Two significant motifs are the broken-line flight of the stairs and the wooden reception counter featuring yet another broken line that emphasize horizontality. Higher up, the trapezoid form resting deck and the hanging illumination framework, as well as see-throughs, reflections and light bands define the tracery of the space with diverging straight lines that make architectural effects complete. Interior design solutions come to round-off the overall design of the building. Standing up from the desk one can join the others to have a conversation or even play in the lounges, or rest in tiny roomlets suited for one person, or have a nice time in the friendly diners that double as kitchens. The structures of the building are modern contemporary ones, its spatial art solutions are timeless, its details evoke the past as well, its scales and dimensions are humane.

General design: Vikár és Lukács Stúdió Kft.
Leading architects: István Lukács, András Vikár DLA
Co-architect: Árpád Gál
Fellow architects: János Mangel, Norbert Kákóczki, Szabolcs Király, Tamás Bencsik, Balázs Tóth, Krisztián Seidl 
Statics: Kokopelli Kft.
HVAC: Enco Mérnöki Iroda Kft.
Electrical engineering: VA-IQ Kft.
Fire protection: BNN Biztonságtechnika Kft.
Structure: FRT Raszter Építésziroda Kft.
Environment protection: Józsa és Társai 2000 Kft.
Landscape: Garten Stúdió Kft.
Traffic: Wettstein & Társa Bt.