Minor Market, Wekerle Housing Estate

Architects: András Füzes, Péter Tóth DLA
Text: Ferenc Salamin
Photos: Zsófia Jurassza

Completed in 2019, the Minor market has a history starting 12 years ago with an architectural tender on the iconic Wekerle housing estate then celebrating its 100th anniversary. The architects of the entries coming first have designed the first new public building since the 100th years of the existence of the estate, and thus a market building reinterpreting the great predecessors was born to replace the row of pavilions built back in the socialist era. Today it is sort of a bravado to design such a structure, much in the same way as it was a brave achievement by Károly Kós and his fellow architects to create up-to-date architecture in the mainstream of Eclecticism and Historicism based on national traditions. The location of the market is a logical one, it is built along the shorter sides of the triangular site whilst the remaining triangle of the yard can be used for open-air sales. The floor-plan configuration is divided into smaller rooms that slightly reflect that of the former row of pavilions, but it does not compromise the whole message of the architectural scheme. The interior great hall of the market is an outstanding part of the whole structure with a simple L shaped pitched roof, and three cross-placed barns define the rhythm of the spectacle whilst also marking the elevated internal hall space with galleries.

Architects: András Füzes, Péter Tóth DLA
Fellow architect: Melinda Faragó
Structure: Tamás Mantuano – Pond Mérnöki Iroda
HVAC: László Szalóky – Kristály Klíma Plusz Kft.
Electrical engineering: István Levek – Standard Épületvillamossági Kft.
Roads: Zoltán Péter, Attila Kenéz – RoadInfo Tanácsadó Kft.
Ornaments: Bernadett Boór, Melinda Faragó, Enikő Harmath-Gyetvai, Bence Péter Tóth, Gergő Radev, Szabolcs Szilágyi , Balázs Juhász
Projekt management: Gyula Horváth – Kispest Kft.