Košice Arena, european capitol of culture 2013

Design: Csémy Krisztián, Csémy Olivér
Text: Szegő György

Kassa amfiteátrum

At the end of 2010 the local government published a tender for the remodelling of the amphitheatre, the old open-air theatre stage evoking ancient Geek ones and its surroundings as a new cultural centre. The winning project suggested a function to enrich the town with an emblematic building of high architectural prestige that can be used both in summer and winter for the year of the European Cultural Capital and later on. The two Slovakian architects of Károly Kós  Association did not interpret the Arena-roofing as a simple technical task. The form defined in the plan is a landmark-producing component evoking the Fibonacci spiral, or its realization in nature in the form of a nautilus-snail. Theform is opened with regard to the terrain and the courses, opening up dynamically marking the direction of the entrance with an emphasis, whilst the rear section at the auditorium produces a closed mantle, sort of protecting the audience of the amphitheatre as well as its stage. The opening-grid of the outer view is also meaningful functionally and generates

undoubtedly zoomorph associations. The parametrically designed shell has received metal facework as white as bone which is both a roof and a facade. The white concrete terrace walls exposed towards the environment heightens the architectural effects of the eastern inside-outside flowing spatial formation.

Leading architects: Csémy Olivér, Csémy Krisztián – Csémy Design Kft.
Fellow architects: Szabó László, Berze Tamás