Adventure Space and Playhouse in the Park of the Castle in Hatvan

Architects: Irén Járomi, Gyula Kiss
Text: András Bán
Photos: Tibor Zsitva

Gyula Kiss and Irén Járomi were commissioned to redesign the auxiliary buildings built in the Kádár era in the garden of the Baroque-style castle in Hatvan apropos of a museum investment. They porposed to remodel the structures originally built for industrial functions to house educational rooms for children in association with the protected historic monument which was to be remodelled as a museum. During the design phase architect treated objects of our not so recent past as historic buildings to be protected and thus respected their unique exterior to the full and preserved their walls and their spirit as much as possible. The result is a highly original synthesis of the interpretations of modernity back in those days and nowadays. Designers managed to salvage two of the minor buildings, the former boilerhouse and the launderette that stand in the garden of the hospital. The investor accepted the concept to reinforce educational and entertainin components. Thus there was some room left next to the castle to build an adventure space of hunting and a playhouse as well, and in their contexts an orangery, pheasants’ house, trimmed hedge maze, artificial track and even a long slide from the viewing platform of the partly preserved chimney of the boilerhouse.

Architecture: Gyula Kiss, Irén Járomi – Kiss Járomi Építésziroda
Fellow architects: Márk Nagy, András Kéki – Kiss Járomi Építésziroda Kft.
Structure: István Komlóssy – Komlóssy Mérnöki Kft.
HVAC: Norbert Pilz, Norbert Sárdi – KIPTERV TMT Kft.
Fire protection: Antal Bársony, Krisztina Németh
Soil mechanics: Balázs Magyar – ELGOSKAR-2000 Kft.
Public utilities: János Kováts – Ligninvest Kft.
Landscape, garden: Anita Szabadics – MNM NÖK.
Main contractor: ÉPKAR ZRT.