Agora, Szolnok, The Extension of Aba-Novák Culture Centre

Architects: László Deák, Árpád Álmosdi, Monika Csendes
Text: Csaba Masznyik
Photos: Donát Álmosdi, Árpád Álmosdi

The end of summer saw the opening of Agóra in Szolnok which is the result of the extension of the municipal culture centre. Finished in 1979, Aba Novák Culture Centre still reflected the dimensions of a socialist industrial city considering its size and architectural design. Architects who were commissioned with the the task to continue the main square in front of it did not only have the necessary professional skills, but also erudition and inventiveness to treat the recent past and the present of the city and the while situation which is fairly complicated in its chronology. Thus they designed a building which is just the opposite of the existing one: functional units have been reconfigurated as independent masses, but whereas the prototype surrounded the spaces around the cubes with a glass wall, now it is vice versa: they focussed on the empty zones in-between the masses. The various blocks have been integrated by an organic use of materials, much in the same way as in the existing building, but for the sake of sustainability they now used stone facework started like a curtain instead of glass. Made up of cubes, the new building part does not initiate contact with the future trends, but with the past, the present and the exiting one.

General design: Ártér Építészműterem
Leading architect: Árpád Álmosdi
Architects: Árpád Álmosdi, Monika Csendes, Ferenc Károly, Zsuzsanna Házi, Nóra Mészáros, István Pölös, Marianna Ilyés, Gábor Tarján
Interior design: Monika Csendes, Nóra Mészáros, Árpád Álmosdi, József Gábor Kovács
Sculpture: György Szabó
Statics: György Erdei – Erdei Kft., István Bózsvári, Tibor Gyalai – Bitex Kft.
HVAC: Attila Nagy – Kermad Kft.
Elecrical engineering: Attila Nagy, Lili Kókai, Antal Schwarzenberger – Rekonterv Kft.
Structure: Ferenc Barta, Lajos Frey – Barta és Társai 03 Kft.
Acoustics: Róbert Csott
Public utilities: Margit Erdeiné Csontos, Lajos Mészáros – Lépték 99 Kft.
Furniture: Csaba Andrási – Garzon Bútor Kft.
Client: Szolnok MJV Önkormányzata
Main contractor: Bau-Komplex Kft. Bajzáth Béla ügyvezető; Serfőző Antal és Madarasi Gyula művezetők

Architects of the tower:

Architecture: István Kövér, Attila Révai – ARCHAI Építész Kft.
Structure: István Bózsvári – BITEX-95 Bt.
Electrical engineering: Attila Nagy – Rekonterv Kft.
Bell: Gyula Kapui – Bimm-Bamm Csoport