Family Mansion, Sopron

Architect: Bence Török-Szabolcs
Text: Anna Szövényi
Photos: Zsolt Batár

Located south of downtown Sopron is a contemporary design family mansion built in a characteristic hillside grown over with pine trees facing north. The landscape wedged between the city and the mountains we can see press-houses like cellars interspersing well-sized residential buildings being built right now. This in-between position of the urban and natural sphere is a result of the proximity of the city and its end also characterizes the spatial position here. The landscape is not only dualistic because of this: the openness of the slope and its closed character from the direction of the hill, that is being right on the slope results in an exciting and challenging architectural task. Yet another duality features the site as the pleasant southern lights come from the direction of the hill to this northern slope as long as the mountain does not start casting its shadow on it. The higher up we go, the more sunshine we can get here. This ambiguity of orientation is excellently resolved and counteracted by the triangular block of the mansion: the living zones are positioned at the street level and receive sunshine southward throughout as they are opened up in both directions. This positioning is further extended by the street whilst the gentle row of pine trees flanking the street provide intimacy and a green wall. The mansion is not adjusted to the row of former press-houses, orchards, and contemporary detached houses and mansions, but follows a broader historical concept of mansion architecture. Both its spatial and mass formation evoke early Modernist style mansions.

General architecture: Bence Török-Szabolcs DLA – T1 Studio
Leading architect: Bence Török-Szabolcs DLA
Project architects: Károly Tószegi, Nikolett Khaut, Tamás Gábor Poros, Adrienn Bársony, Rebeka Monory
Structure: Csaba Wágner – BW Plan Ltd.
HVAC: Zoltán Fok – FZH Ltd.
Electrical engineering: Lajos Szabó – GJL Engineering
Interior design: Bence DLA Török-Szabolcs – T1 Studio
Fire protection: Sándor Rózsa