Local Government and Customer Centre, Budapest, Kőbánya

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

When designing the customer centre in Állomás Street, Kőbánya, a former residential building had to be remodelled whilst merging it with a corner structure. Much in the same way as the Gordian knot was cut, architects simply but effeciently solved the task. Spaces were matched to the functions so that both clerks working here and customers feel fine here. The new facade joins two old houses. It speaks a contemporary modern language amongst the lateral facades preserving the past which have vertically configurated windows, are articulated in an evenly rhythm and are clad in plasterwork architecture. Following the line of the eaves, it completely nestles in-between the houses, even though its architectura radically deviates from those of the neighbouring buildings and yet it does not impress u sas if it was something alien here: it connects the whole block with a modest, rational kind of simplicity. The new part adjusts in here whilst evolving into the chief agent owing to its central position. it is generous and elegant, whilst retaining its simplicity.

Leading architects: István Lukács, András Vikár DLA, Árpád Gál 
Fellow architects: Norbert Kákóczki, Dániel Berecz, Szabolcs Király, János Mangel, Krisztián Seidl 
Structure: Péter Hegedűs – Hegedűs és Mizere Kft.
HVAC: Júlia Balla, Ilona Suri – É-GÉTI Bt.
Electrical engineering: József Sápi – Orfireusz Kft.
Interiors: Erika Ignácz 
Landscape, gardening: Vikár és Lukács Építész Stúdió Kft.