Digital Power Plant and National Film History Theme Park, Ózd

Architect: Györgyi Csontos
Text: Eszter Götz
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

Ózd, which used to be an industrial centre based on metallurgy back in the Socialist era, had ultimately demolished its factory plant simultaneously with the change of the political system in 1990 when there was a fatal hydrogen explosion killing several victims. As of today, the city lacks a genuine centre, and its geographical focus is still occupied by the ruins and remnants of the factory plant. The protection of its architectural values had started somewhat earlier to be followed by a growingly conscious ambition of the local government to rehabilitate the zone. Firstly, it was the turn of the museum of the city and industrial history housed in the school building: accompanied by a complex change of its public image, the architectural transformation at last managed to show up something delightfully new thanks to designs by Györgyi Csontos which brought about simple and unadorned solutions coupled with powerful contemporary spectacles.
The renewal project of the museum was followed by that of the factory zone.
Positioned as an out-door exhibition, the relics of local industrial history are backed by the very heart of the development: two restored buildings now hosting new functions. One of them is the Powerplant and the other is the Blower-house, which have now been given the greatest opportunities of their history as they house the National Hungarian Digital Archives and Film Institution. The Blower-house stores 200,000 boxes of film rolls, whilst the Powerplant is the place of digitization doubling as an education centre and exhibition. One of them also contains the visitors’ centre with matching attractions, an exhibition on film history, store room, filmed karaoke, professional studios, and a huge 40 metre long studio based on green-box tricks, whilst the other shows a survey of already digitized Hungarian films, an education centre, classrooms and offices too. The whole project was implemented so as to perfectly preserve the original Art Nouveau structure of the Blower-house and the Powerplant including their exterior and interior surfaces.

Leading architect: Györgyi Csontos DLA
Landscape: Anna Adorján
HVAC: Tihamér Tóth – Thermo 93 Kft.
Electrical engineering: Gábor Münnich – Fényesvölgy Kft.

National Film History Theme Park

Fellow architects: Tamás Ivacs, Evelin Serfőző, Judit Sajbán – Archinvest’97 Kft.
Client: Ózd Város Önkormányzata
Main contractor: Mester-Építő Fővállalkozó és Kivitelező Kft.
Structure: Pál Sterner – Sterner Mérnökiroda Kft.
Curator of the exhibition: Imre Kaján

Powerplant

Architects: Gábor Percz, Dániel Petheő, Barbara Nagy – MIXA Stúdió, Archinvest’97
Fellow architects: Dávid Krakomperger, Domonkos Újfalussy, Gergely Norbert Vizi
Interiors: Balázs Kéry, András Göde – Kroki Stúdió
Structure: Pál Sterner – Sterner Mérnökiroda Kft.
Client: Magyar Nemzeti Digitális Archívum (MaNDA)
Main contractor: Market Építő Zrt.
Curator of the exhibition: Gábor Képes (MaNDA)

Blower-house

Architects: Gábor Percz, Dániel Petheő, Barbara Nagy, Viktor Ábel, Bence Dobos – MIXA Stúdió, Archinvest’97
Fellow architects: Dávid Krakomperger, Balázs Révai, Domonkos Újfalussy, Gergely Norbert Vizi
Structure: Gábor Bimbó, Sterner Mérnökiroda Kft.
Client: Magyar Nemzeti Digitális Archívum (MaNDA)
Main contractor: Zeron Befektető Zrt.
Curator of the exhibition: Péter Haragos