The Office Building of the Hungarian Academy of Arts

Architects: György Fazakas, Balázs Stachó, Gyula Dávid
Text: Kornél Baliga
Photos: József Hajdú

By integrating two mansions built at the turn of the century, the new headquarters of the Hungarian Academy of Arts was born along Andrássy Avenue. The reconstruction of the exterior facades and the revision of the values of the interiors resulted in a coherent artwork of architecture and interior design. The mansion along Andrássy Avenue is a remarkably original creation with its dynamic mass formation, extraordinary bay windows, and window designs. The building behind it with quarry cladding shows some sort of a revival Baroque character. Its architect, György Fazakas and his fellow architects have found an ingenious solution to connect the two structures. The three-storey wing functioning as a main entrance has partly bent glass partitions supported by glass pillars bridging over three storeys. One of the lateral walls of the foyer is made up of the facade of the Freund mansion moved into the interior with the projecting roof of the former main entrance and the remains of the stained glass window of the staircase which in turn was transformed into a door on the first floor. From the corridors with glazed wall cladding restrooms and kitchenettes open up in the core of the building, whilst on the other side the offices of the institution are accessible. Its design and equipment is genuinely contemporary and modern interspersed with lots of 21st century engineering bravados. From the foyer an arched marble staircase leads on to the mezzanine from where contemporary design conference rooms and a stucco decor office opens. Above the foyer a former study preserving its original furniture and the studies of the chairman and secretary of the academy are housed. The attic contains a contemporary design auditorium with a seating capacity of 100 guests can function as the venue for meetings for the members of the academy and the membership.

Architectural consultant: György Fazakas
General design: Fazakas Építésziroda Kft., ABC Group Kft.
Leading architect: György Fazakas
Architect: Balázs Stachó
Monument preservation expert: Gyula Dávid
Interior designer: Dr. Habil Balázs Balogh DLA
Associate designers: Márton Babos, Emese Balogh, Nikoletta Fazakas, Szilvia Fazakas, László Horváth, Adrienn Négyessy, Imre Paroczai, Mária Patocskai, Zsolt Varga
Structure: István Kovács, Tamás Pintér
HVAC: László Temesvári, József Nagy, Ákos Tóth, Norbert Nagy
Electrical engineering: Ferenc Kelemen, Ferenc Szepesi, Aladár Joó
Glasswork: Vera-Vagia Tassioudi, Dr. Habil György Stocker DLA
Value inventory: György Szekér
Restoration research documentation: Alakart Ipar és Képzőművészeti Kft.
Client: Magyar Művészeti Akadémia Titkársága
Main contractor: Laki Zrt.