Façade Reconstruction of Kútvölgyi Clinical Centre, Budapest

Architects: Elemér Csánk (1944), Antal Lázár, György Stocker (2022)
Text: Zsolt István Kiss, Péter Varga
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

After eighty years of operation, the façade of Kútvölgyi Hospital in Budapest has been renewed. Its birthday can be counted since its inauguration in 1944, the start of construction in 1939, the design competition in 1936, or even Act XI of 1930, which ordered the construction of a modern hospital for state employees. The May 1941 issue of the periodical Hungarian Architecture already published model photographs of the would-be hospital, followed in November 1942 by photographs of the building as it was being completed. It exceeded the spirit of the time with its cruciform floor plan and vertical central circulation core, with a total of 11 floors, seven of which were mostly built above ground level. In 1978, the building was declared a historical monument. In 2022, the energy-wise modernisation of the façade, designed by Antal Lázár and György Stocker, was completed. The reconstruction of the façade cladding was carried out by using the remaining surfaces and the distribution of the façade as shown in archive photographs. The background structure was covered with reinforcing plaster, on which thermal insulation and Kerlite cladding were applied. The designers also considered the dimensions of the windows and the depth of the windows in relation to the façade plane to be retained. The glass partitions of the staircases and the arched opening near the main entrance have also been restored to their original design regarding pitch and profile depth.

Client: Észak-Közép-budai Centrum, Új Szent János Kórház és Szakrendelő
Investor: Közbeszerzési Ellátási Főigazgatóság
Original architect: Elemér Csánk(1972)
Original structural architect: Pál Sávoly (1972)
General planning: A&D Stúdió Ltd.
Leading architects: Antal Lázár DLA, György Stocker DLA, Szilvia Bánsági, Veronika Lázár
Fellow architect: Péter Zsömbörgi
Co-ordinating architect: Anikó Balogh
Monument history experts: Tamás Mezős DLA – M&M Architektész M.I. Ltd.
Monument history fellow expert: Balázs Bodó
Fire protection: Nándor Tar
Structure: Miklósné Bartók, Sándor Pintér, Zoltán Gergye, Tibor Papp – Szigma Stúdió Ltd.
HVAC: Gábor Szigyártó, Attila Pitkó – SMG-SISU Budapest Ltd.
Electrical engineering: Tamás Barbarics dr
Health and safety protection: Linda Bódisné Molnár – GL Safety &Protect Ltd.
Sculptures: András Engler
Mosaics: Pál Breznay
Interior revewal: Árpád Ferdinánd – Ferdinánd and Ferdinánd Architects
Monument history supervisor: László Leposa
Main contractor: B+N Referencia Zrt., Péter Puskás, László Horváth
Elevation realization: Bayer Center Ltd., József Bayer, Péter Németh, József Szeitz
Organization of civil initiative for New S. John Hospital: Zsolt Szilágyi