The Reconstruction of the Old Harbour, Tihany

Architects: László Földes, András Farkas, Péter Sugár DLA
Text: Bálint Botzheim
Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky

The Old Harbour, which is part of the Tihany peninsula, is located by the shore of Lake Balaton. Its architectural character conveys the relics of various stages preserved from its history. Facelifted now, this complex is focussed on a ferro-concrete shell structure pavilion housing the post office, and also embraces the row of bazaars which has just been redesigned and extended. The primary concern of this reconstruction project was to preserve and reposition all the existing values of the site. As a result, the bazaars have been rephrased in terms of architecture: now they impress us as elegant and worthy partners completing the newly reconstructed shell structure. The widened and gently reshaped ferro-concrete roof plate leads the eye to the shell structure as a generously sweeping gesture. One end of the complex located closer to the peninsula features an arched building mass which has been transformed now into a two-storey structure to create a balance as a counterpoint.
On the ground floor it houses a bike rental shop and store, whilst upstairs there is a café where a ferro-concrete stairway with a floating railing leads the visitors. The floating ferro-concrete deck built at the roof level as well as the white steel columns evoke the character of the structure back in the
1960s, the portal system of the bazaars, whilst the sun sails of the roof deck associate and ground the building with the present.

General architecture: Földes és Társai Építésziroda Kft.
Architects: László Földes, András Farkas, Péter Sugár DLA
Structure: Zoltán V. Nagy – Lapidárium Kft.
HVAC: Attila Lucz – HVarC Kft.
Electrical engineering: Judit Balázs – Artvill Kft.
Client: Hajóállomás Kft.
Main contractor: Projekt Építő Kft.
Landscape: Karolin Bán – Égig Érő Fű Kft.