TVE Sports Centre, Óbuda

Architect: János Plájer
Text: Sándor Csontó
Photos: Zsolt Batár

In 2017 the citizens of Óbuda came into possession of the new recreation centre of the Sports, Gymnastics and Fencing Association of District III. The comprehensive revival of the sports complex contains the educational swimming pool, running tracks and sports fields, as well as the new building for the centre. This structure is in sharp contrast with the neighbouring scruffy residential buildings built in the 1960s, and had a positive effect on them, whilst becoming an outstanding component of the man-made environment here. The main entrance axis of the two-storey building runs north-east, slightly stepped back from the facade to create a reception zone with an atrium. The wings on the first floor are connected with a ferro-concrete bridge on the first floor, but the cover panel was constructed as an unbroken joint structure. As a result, the huge glass curtain wall makes space friendly and optically open. From the foyer to the ceiling, it is clad in tiny concave cubes and spiced up with a horizontal blue band. Above the reception counter the interior is enhanced with botanical decor, a green wall, which evokes the lawn outside the building. The first storey of the northern building is accessible by a bridge spanning over the foyer. The eastern facade is entirely opened up towards the fields. The southern part of the first floor houses a self-service restaurant-buffet. The gradual design of the grand stand was made of prefab ferroconcrete panels to guarantee the flat geometry.

Leading architect: János Plájer – Óbuda Építész Stúdió
Fellow architects: Szabolcs Kormos – Óbuda Építész Stúdió
Structure: Tamás Vértesy – Óbuda Építész Stúdió
HVAC: György Pavlics – PPR Plan Kft.
Acoustics, environment: Róbert Ceott – 95 Apszis Bt.
Fire protection: Bendegúz Csuba – Optomm Kft.