National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) Headquarters, Budapest

Architect: Péter Vékony
Text: Tamás Kiss
Photos: György Palkó

In the autumn of 2023, the 13th district of Budapest was enriched with a technical building of European significance and a knowledge centre: the multifunctional extension of the
headquarters of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) was inaugu-rated on Esztergomi Road. The Hungarian Chamber of Architects’ 2016/17 public design competition for the design of a 15 000 m2 facility with three underground and five above-ground floors was won by Nirmana Architects led by Péter Vékony. The building consists of several units: an L-shaped main structure at the corner of the site, a cube above the under-ground car park in the middle of the courtyard and the vegetated courtyards between them, as well as a corridor connecting the new building to the office structure on Visegrádi Street. The planar street façade presents the image of a rational, uncluttered building, the monotony of which is resolved by simple gestures. While the ground floor façade section is essentially closed in character, the glass façade of the upper floors is preceded by a bar-coded, openwork shell. The mixed function of the building calls for a hybrid solution of a research base and an office building. The premises are equally suited to everyday communication tasks as well as to scientific and educational needs.

General planning: Nirmana Architects
Lead architect: Péter Vékony
Assistant architects: Adél Kerekes, Szabina Fekete, Zita Pallag, László Ficze, Zalán Kálmán, Ádám Seres, Attila Szilágyi, István Balczer – Nirmana Architects; Zsuzsanna Sághi, Dávid Sárközi, Alex Prokop – Nexus-Terv
Interiors: Zsófia Éltető – Nirmana Architects, Erzsébet Gothárd – Medveczky & Gothárd
Structure: István Kovács – Kovács & Kovács Stúdió
Civil engineering: Ferenc Radványi
Soil mechanics: László Sztancsik – Petik Ltd.
Building construction: Richárd Reisch, Tamás Polareczki – FRT Raszter
HVAC: György Pavlics – PPR Plan
Electrical engineering: László Kósa, Norbert Ulrich, Károly Horváth – Tomkit Ltd.
Roads: Klára Macsinka, Gabriella Bosnyakovics – Mobil City Ltd.
Acoustics: Csaba Huszty, Gusztáv Józsa – Entel Ltd.
Fire protection: Ferenc Végh – Firedesign
Accessibility: Tibor Gyula Polinszky
Kitchen technology: András Gauland – Texto-Gastro
Environment protection: Leizer Géza Károly Kiss
Elevator: Csaba Benka – Lifttechnika Ltd.
Garden: Andrea Ertvein, Krisztián Marosi – Prime Garden