Renovation of the “gymnasium-stable” of the Premontre High School

Architects: Gábor Turányi†, Zoltán Kovács
Text: Nóra Ostoróczky
Photos: Balázs Danyi

The summer gym designed by architect Gábor Turányi has stood in the backyard of the Premontre High School in Gödöllő since 1995-96. With its rhythmically arranged supports and perhaps also its position in the garden, the structure of the building is reminiscent of the farm buildings of vernacular architecture. Gábor Turányi’s original plans were for an open gymnasium with a stone plinth, consisting of aligned steel pillars and V-shaped timber supports. The budget had already limited the building’s designs, so a rational solution was the response to the need, expanding the sports facilities for the large number of students at St Norbert’s Premontre High School: Designed by Zoltán Kovács, a polycarbonate corrugated sheet covering was added in order to protect and show off the original structure, wrapping the old supports like a veil. The filigree metal framework supporting the cladding closely follows the existing structure of the house in its order of division, but also draws new, hair-thin vertical lines in front of the V-shaped iron supports. The designers’ aim was to both retain and visualise the structural integrity. The other main component of the envelope is the slate roof, similar in appearance to the original, but different in material, wit a pattern continuing the gently undulating façade image.

Client: Premontre Abbey of Gödöllő
General architecture: kollektív studio
Architects: Gábor Turányi†, Zoltán Kovács
Fellow architect: Domonkos Ujfalussy
Structure: Zoltán V. Nagy