Szervita Square Building

Architects: Antal Fekete, László Gellár
Text: Anett Mizsei
Photos: Zsolt Hlinka

By the turn of the millennia there has hardly any vacant lot been left in the fabric of downtown Budapest, which means that large-scale new developments are only possible after the demolition of existing buildings. Meanwhile the maximizing of the marketable floor area actually strains new developments in every dimension of space as a rule, often at the expense of urban habitats. As opposed to this practice, the concept by Antal Fekete and László Gellár set the goal to improve the existing situation by revising the function, formations of the building and its neighbourhood. The undeveloped southwestern part of the lot along Szervita Square connects directly with the public domain. Evolving into a two-level urban square it also reveals old and new layers, freeing further surfaces for communal use, completed with commercial and catering functions. The compact forms of the new building adjust to the firewall of the neighbouring corner house following the slightly angular lines of the facades and turn over on the corner in gentle arches. These arched contours do not appear as strange ones, and considering forms, the facade design of the adjoining building is also similar. An important merit, which is not the only one, of course, is that it does not demand too much space. It is present in its historical context as a contemporary accent, but also has ambitions to create continuity.

General architecture: DVM group
Leading architects: Antal Fekete, László Gellár
Concept: Antal Fekete, Pál Dóczé
Architects: Balázs Besenyei, Róbert Erdélyi, Huba Ferenczi, Petra Kutasi-Kovács, Ildikó Lente, Orsolya Nagy, Ádám Titkos
Client: Horizon Development
Main contractor: DVM group
Project management: DVM group
Structure: TM Janeda Kft.
Fire protection: F.S.Z. Mérnökiroda Kft.
HVAC, electrical engineering: Kipterv
Elevation: C.E.F.
Framework: FRT Raszter
Environment: 4D Tájépítész iroda