Centre for British Culture, Art and Studies, Budapest Hun Pu
Introduction and Brief Budapest is the capital city of Hungary, an ex-Communist country. The city is characteristically defined by the River Danube that cuts through the centre, creating two juxtaposing aspects of the city; the wealthy and the poor, attributed to Buda and Pest respectively. The site I have chosen of a possible four choices is situated in Pest, in District VII (site 4). The brief is to design a Centre of British Culture, Art and Studies, comprising of a Language Centre, Multi-Media Library, Auditorium space, Art Exhibition spaces, a contemporary British Pub, supporting Administrative functions, and associated Outdoor space. The new Centre will seek to rejuvenate Britain’s presence in the city, aiming to be a place of learning about British life, culture and language. The aspiration of the Centre is that it will become known as a source of democratic and inclusive values in the city of Budapest.
Contents i
INTRODUCTION
1
ANALYSIS
7
FINDINGS
13 CONCEPT 15 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT 17 PRECEDENTS 19 EXHIBITION AND ARTISTS 21 GARDEN 23 LANDSCAPE 25 MATERIALITY 28 STRUCTURE 29 DETAIL SECTION 31 ENVIRONMENTAL 33 CONCEPT REALISATION 36 DRAWINGS 49 VISUALS 55 MODEL PHOTOS 58 REFLECTION
Macro The City of Budapest was historically made up of three towns: Obuda, Buda and Pest, officially only united togther in 1873. The river Danube runs straight through its core, with its Buda lying to the west and Pest to the East. The duality of Budapest is clearly seen through the contrast between Buda and Pest; Buda being the more affluent part of the city, with its natural, hilly landscape, sprawled with residential buildings, whiltst Pest lies on a flat, vast plain with high density urban development, laid out in strict city grids which are defined by its main avenues. Throughout the city, I was strongly affected by the apparent emptiness of Budapest’s designated public areas. Public parks and squares were seeminlg devoid of people. There seemed to be a tangible tension with the populace’s relationship with the public realm. We were told later that because of the Communist regime that ended only in 1989, people in Budapest no longer saw the public place as their own, but as that belonging to someone else, and thus continuing in a vicious cycle of neglect and estrangement.
ANALYSIS
Entire city of Budapest divided into ‘DISTRICTS’.
Inner City of Budapest divided up by its main roads and avenues. District VII lies at the centre of the city.
Tourist attraction around rhe city.
Pest and its main avenues.
Urban grid and figure ground of Pest.
Green public spaces in Pest.
A rare park found in Pest, though seeminly deserted and neglected.
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Meso The place I have chosen to situate the centre is site 4, which lies at the heart of the ‘culture hub’ of Pest, and for that matter, the entire city of Budapest: District VII (Jewish District). The site is located on Kazinszy Útca, seemingly a quiet road. However, surrounding it lies the iconic Andrássy Útca to the north, a busy street, Király Útca running immdeiately across the top, a busy line of coffee shops, restaurants and retail shops connected in a series of courtyards to the south-east, and the famous ruin pubs that lie predominantly to the south-west. The areas to the south-east seem to have recently been renovated, with a new bar near completion that sits on a pedestrianised route leading up to the site. As with the rest of the city, the buildings within the vicinity are dominated by the 19th century courtyard type appartment blocks. Once, these places were buzing with life, with people gathering in its open space. But again, as a consequence of the Communist era, these places became vacant and remain to this day used as a mere access route to the apartments above, not as a place of community and social activites. The entrance to such courtyards are now univiting and hostile to the public.
ANALYSIS
Figure ground.
Tree density.
Parks and outside bars.
Pedestrian flow within immediate context.
Vehicle access and parking areas.
Courtyard type buildings.
The uninviting threshold between the courtyard and outside captures a sense of hostility.
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Micro Situated in its dense urban environment, the wind direction in this area is unpredictable, with most parts of site 4 being overshadowed in the winter. Site 4 is undeveloped, currently being a combination of an outdoor bar alongside a car park, and a back-door service area for the neighbouring restaurant. Overlooking onto the site are mainly residential blocks, with access along the north and north-west boundry. Immediately to the south-east lies a pleasant ruin bar. The northern residential block has natural access to this bar. As I entered into the surrounding buildings and looking around the site, I was particularly by the intricate metalwork that could be discovered as you passed through the courtyard gates, travelled up the stairs and passed along its railings. This celebration of material and skill seemed to be a continual theme throughout the city, contrasting against the apparent neglect of the very buildings themselves which hold these fascinating details.
Unpredictable wind flow in urban setting. Prevailing wind comes predominantly from north west.
Images of the site: size, scale, material, texture
ANALYSIS
Shadows by adjacent buildings at noon during the summer months.
Shadows by adjacent buildings at noon during the winter months.
People flow through and around the site.
Overlooking sight lines by exisitng residential buildings.
Building types in immediate vicinity.
An intricately detailed metalwork found in the gates to a courtyard.
Cafes/Pubs Residential Education
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Its Urban Fabric One of the reasons why I chose this site was the opportunity of encouraging rejuvenation within the area . Currently, site 4 lies on a relatively quiet street which seems to act only as a thorough route to the ruin pubs further to the east and to the high street to the west. By investigating the history of the formation of the district’s urban grain, I discovered that there was the intention of creating a new main avenue that would branch off Károly Körút and run parallel to Andrássy Útca. However, this plan was abandon near the begninng of construction due to lack of funds.The gateway to this avenue still exists nevertheless, harking the start of a supposedly grand broadway.
Inspired by this new found discovery, rather than seeing the scheme as merely becoming a final desitination point at along this route, I want the culture centre to enhance the neighbouring space’s function; to serve rather than to be served. Currently there is a natural alley that connects the northern apartments directly to the open ruin pub to the south-east of the site. I want to revitalise and open up this back alley and allow a continous route from the centre to this bustling public place. Thus the centre becomes a tangible component within the urban fabric.
In relation to the site, it lies along the same grain line of the avenue. Maybe there is an opportunity to play off this significant route?
Looking towards the site from the western approach along Kazinszy Útca.
FINDINGS
Looking towards the site from the eastern approach along Kazinszy Útca.
Looking towards the site from the southern approach outside some bars and cafes.
Looking directly onto the site from the southern approach.
Other Observations The architecture of Budapest is predominantly that of a Baroque, European style, with a visible presence of balconies. The buildings are constructed primarily out of brick, which then is covered by a thick stucco rendering. The scale of the buildings are generally very tall reaching to heights of 20m, and with internal rooms generally occupying a height of 4m. Therefore there is an uncontrained opportunity to have the scheme of similar scale and size. Budapest has a turbulent history, racked with civil wars and oppressive regimes like the Communist rule after the Second World War. The reminiscence of war, particularly the scars left behind from the 1956 revolution, is still deeply embedded not only in the minds of the people especially of those who were physically affected, but also in the architecture of Budapest itself. Visible traces of bullet holes and shrapnel, and subsequent marks of errosion and neglect are particularly noticeable as I walked through District VII. Opportunities for rejuvenation and regeneration are strongly justified.
Buildings in Pest can genrally reach to heights of 18-20m.
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The Public Realm
The Inclusive Courtyard Type
As mentioned previously, the Communist regime (1944 - 89) effectively estranged the people of Budapest from the public realm. As a result, the designated public spaces dotted throughout the city are devoid of people; no gatherings take place.
The nature of the 19th century courtyard space is unashamedly social and inclusive, with rooms looking in onto the courtyard which effectively allows the coexistence of all of society’s upper and lower class. As a Hungrian professor of urban athropology, Istvan Teplan puts it, it is “Park Avenue and the South Bronx in the same building.” This contrasts with the new housing developments occuring on the outskirts of the city which look outside, and in turn neglect the open space within.
With my building I want to address this problem, and create a place where this perception is broken down. Therefore the formation of a welcoming and inclusive external environment as part of the Centre is paramount to its aspiration as a place of positive learning and impact on society.
However, these coutryard spaces have also become empty and neglected, and have ceased to be places of community and social activity. The entrance to these highlight the barreness of such spaces. Fortunately though, there are pockets of communities in Pest that are seeking to bring back this lost happiness of community and rejuvenate the surrounding areas. The new Centre seeks to reinterpret the essence of this courtyard type, encouraging interaction between the intermediate and wider public and having a ‘courtyard’ that unites them together.
No interation with public spaces. Rather it is avoided or only used as a circulation route.
FINDINGS
The hostile looking entrance to the courtyard wards people away from these social places. The centre will seek to address its threshold with the street.
Dark iron vertical bars give an unfirendly sense of the place
Neglected courtyard space, devoid of people.
The courtyard allows the coexistence of all classes of people.
The English Garden Inspired by the discovery of this regenerative gardening initiative in Budapest, I sought to refernece this into a contemporary intepretation of the English Garden. I feel that one of the unique features of the British attitude towards gardens is the eclectic range of spaces and moods that are created; places for meeting, places for working, places for meeting, places for eating, places for playing. This will be something I want to explore, integrating a layering different ‘gardens’ at different levels, each with their own purpose and atmosphere. There is also a celebration of diversity in these gardens, which I will seek to highlight particularly in the landscape on the ground plane.
Locations of community gardens currently being implemented or will be in the future.
The Communal Garden Observing the lack of green spaces in the city, specifically in the surrounding vicinity of my site, I sought to implement how a public place could incorprate green (garden) spaces to bring people together and reinvigorating that sense of community. During my investigations, I came upon a startling discovery: there is currently a community garden initiative spreading through the city, called Közösségi Kertek. The vision of this movement is to address the lack of integration within the community and to give ownership back to empty or underdeveloped courtyard plots throughout the city, such as site 4. Interestingly, there is a plot just to the north east of the site awaiting development... I will seek to implement a reintepretation of a community garden as a fundamental aspect to the scheme. In connection with the Centre itself, there might be the opporunity that British plants can be grown, so as to add another element to the British culture that people could learn more about. 10
Intricate Metalwork Throughout Budapest what really intrigued me was the continuity of intricate metalwork detailing in staircases, railings, fences, etc. This was present across both sides of the river, both Buda and Pest, despite their different economic situations. This observation was most starkly seen in the buildings across the ‘Jewish District’; lasting and beautiful metal detailing juxtaposed against the obvious neglect of the buildings themselves. As an important aspect to the centre, I want to celebrate this rich material in a contemporary manner, highlighting the different functions of the spaces with its facade and celebrating the vertical transition through building via the main staircase.
FINDINGS
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Concept The building will seek to create a vibrant, interactive external public realm which serves both the immediate residents, surrounding communities and wider public. Achieving this will in part be due to a reinterpretation of the Budapest courtyard typology, addressing the inclusive nature of the space and its entrance threshold from the street. Integrating ‘the garden’ will be critical to creating a rich experience of the building and by reinterpreting the eclectic nature of the English garden in a contemporary manner and drawing upon reference to the community garden, it should help to reinvigorate a sense of community within the vicinity.
CONCEPT
Vibrant public realm
Reintepretation of courtyard typology
Inviting street front.
Eclectic garden space
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Design Development Fundamental to the design process was to address the existing urban context of the site; responding sensitively to the existing blank/active facades, enhancing existing access pathways, creating an inviting street entrance and above all, the creation of a vibrant, external public realm.
Acknowledging the existing elevation treatments of the surrounding buildings, and thus their functions, gave clarity to how the building should be orientated.
Being aware of the upper floor surface treatments were also important to the design of upper floor elements.
Responding to the existing datum lines of the adjacent buildings may give rise to opportunities of colonisation.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
It was important to respect and maintain/enhance the existing access routes into the residential apartments.
Creating two open spaces was a primitive response to views from residential buildings and blank walls.Pushing building to the street maintains the grain of the urban context.
Creating a main courtyard space to the north. Smaller courtyard becomes uninviting and acts only as route through.
Further developing to creat just one main courtyard space. Pushing building to the street front and along the restaurant allow unhindered views onto the space. Opportunity to link with neighbouring ruin pub. More public spaces are arranged to act as the ‘shop’ front of the Centre, with more private modular spaces along the edge.
Simplifying form at the rear and cranking the front facade back to channel and invite people in.
The building sits flush with adjacent buildings to continue the street front. Raised to the local height of 4.5m and act as a giant window into the public realm beyond.
Introduced a circulation and entrance space, though still maintaining a ‘window frame’. At the interim review, the space was criticised to feel too dark and oppressive. It was strongly advised to increase the height and arrange the building in a compact manner.
Raised the entire building to have a height of 6m and started expressing a notion of the different type of spaces through the treatment of facade. Highlight the view beyond by contrasting facades?
Introduced a third element to the stret front: the ground being pierced by the presence of the auditorium punderground. This activitaes the street front, giving passer-bys a visual connection of the activities happening in the Centre. This removes any sensual distance between the street and the building and instead interacts directly with the public.
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Precedents Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris (1981-87) Jean Nouvel The strong, absolute street facade gives a powerful impression on the user. The intricately detailed panels hark back to the Arab culture, whilst simultaneously providing an advanced form of brise soleil. I enjoy interplay of the light falling through the openings and the shadows created. I hope to draw reference to this architecture that emphasise on attention to the detailing of the facade, and thus opportunities to integrate a form of solar shading Morgan Library, New York (2000-06) Renzo Piano This project looks at bringing people into a central space, which in turn connects to the different levels of the building, including a performance hall below ground level. From the entrance an uninterrupted view of the landscape beyond creates a tangible and visual connection with the street entrance from the outset. I am intrigued by how a view beyond can draw people in, along with the simple idea of connecting spaces via a grand open void. Serpentine Gallery Pavilion, Kensington Gardens, (2011) Peter Zumthor The presence of the garden is fundamental to this project, where the architecture acts as a frame and the beauty of the garden takes centre-stage. I will draw inspiration from the way the garden (landscape) is given priority, and how its eclectic nature is made manifest at the human scale.
PRECEDENTS
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The Exhibition Space and Artist To mark the opening of the Centre, two artists are being commissioned: London-based artist Barry Sykes and Budapestbased artist Lovas Ilona. The opening theme of the Centre’s first exhibition is called “Exchange + Connection”. I feel that the manifestation of the street front facade of the Centre, as well as the integration of gardens play off this theme imaginatively and appropiately.
The deliberate detailing of the lattice highlight the desire of the Centre to connect with the people of Budapest, seeking not to be a building detached from the culture within which it sits.
By providing a place,such as community gardens, it encourages that ethos of inclusivity and the exchange of ideas. It encourages a culture of community and belonging.
Exhibition space design Establishing that the internal exhibition gallery needed to be flexible enough in order to accommodate the needs of different works of artists and designers, I decided it was appropiate to have it arranged in open plan. I also want the space to be made visible from the street so people can get a sense of the public activity within. I set out to ensure that temporary partitions could be set in place reaidly and easily when they would be required. There are two types of partitions that can be installed depending on the nature of the works displayed. There are a sieries of 6m high walls which effectively forms a completely enclosed space, ideal for works that require a controlled environment such as the showing of Ilona’s film work. Smaller 3m high walls can also be installed for the showing of more general, lighter pieces of work with no environmental requirements. These partitions are moved and stabalised in position by permanent grooves in the floors and ceilings set at 3m centres along the breadth and length of the exhibition space.
EXHIBITION AND ARTISTS
As part of the brief, Illona requires a space that is entirely enclosed for the viewing of a film. For purpose of this opening exhibition, I have decided to give this highlighted space ‘centre-stage’ to add interest and variation to the flow of movement around the space.
Ilona will only be showing a film at the opening exhibition. Her work centers on the past sufferings of Hungary, the reminiscence of them with strong Biblical references, such as pieces that are made by rolling 100m of cow belly together with text from the Bible, that are either hung or laid falt, symbolising ‘alive’ and ‘death’ respectively. I feel that my aim for the Centre seeks to address the same kind of issues that Ilona expresses in her pieces: society’s lost perceptions, but in my case, perception of the public realm.
Barry Sykes intend to show a wide range of works, ranging from yellow pages on a series of picnic tables to a series of mirrors that are in same reflection plane as a circular mirror and caddy. He intends to challenge accepted ideals and notions that society holds. The open plan arrangement suits the various works Sykes wishes to show.
Part of the exhibition was to have a designated outdoor exhbition space. In my scheme, it is occupies an integral place in the landscaped public realm, situated between the two auditorium roofs that pierces through the ground plane. Part of the space is exposed fully to the elemenst whilst the remaining area is sheltered directly beneath the indoor exhibition space. Intended to remain a permanent piece in the outdoor realm, we were given a brief to design a sculptural ‘ampersand’ object that possesses an undesirable text form we dislike. I chose ‘Comic Sans’. This is intended to challenge people’s notion of beauty, and expresses the Centre’s ethos of exchange, whether or not it initially seems palatable.
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The Eclectic Garden
Drawing upon inspiration from the eclectic feature of English gardens, I have created a layering of different garden spaces, each with their own role and appeal. With such variation of garden spaces throughout the Centre, it will foster a sense of interaction and ultimately of community. These dedicated green public places fill a much needed void in the urban fabric of Pest, and will help to change the people’s disjointed perception of the public realm. The culmination of these different spaces act as a prototype for further building developments, in the way it seeks to holistically integrate green spaces with the exisitng surrounding context and gives the community pleasant places to meet and solialise. The implementation of a reintepretation of the urban community garden will prove pivotal in rejuvenating other empty/undeveloped plots of land like site 4 in the vicinity. encourages integration with the surrounding context, and in this instance gives an appropiate visual link to the neighbouring ruin pub.There might be an opportunity to make a physical link with the pub? Introducing a rich range of planting,both native Hunagrian and typical British, will encourage biodiversity in the area.
ECLECTIC GARDEN
‘Place for Playing’ This is the open, landscaped park-like garden that will be fully accessible throughout the day, with the residents and public able to use the green space for relaxing, reading, and taking their children for a place to play. The flexible nature of this space is emphasised by the other range of activities found here, i.e. outdoor exhibition space, outdoor seating, view into auditorium. A special feature of this space is also a green wall that grows up tensioned steel wires leading to the ‘place of working’ above. This accentuates the connection and relevance between the different garden layers.
Growing’ ‘Place for
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‘Pla
‘Place for Working’ This is the rooftop garden situated behind the language classroom on the third floor level. This would be the most private space as it cannot be seen from the ground plane in the landscape below, and its presence is only hinted by the growth of plants up the metal cladding. Appropiately, this space, together with the balconies below respond to the balcony edge of the exisitng residential apartment, giving an open visual connection with one another. This is a place where students, staff, and vistors can come and sit and relax, or work on laptops, or read books. ‘Place for Eating’ This is a green and paved area on the flat roof of the existing adjacent restaurant building and is accessed from the glazed walkway. The colonisation of this space challenges and ‘Place for Growing’ In a sense this garden is the garden of the Centre. Referencing to the community garden initiative mentioned beforehand, this is a place that seeks to be a place where the community can reserve a place to grow plants on a yearly basis. This is very much a variation of a community garden, as this space is also used for educaional purposes such as for school visits. The Centre will use this space to grow English and Hungarian vegetation and showcase them as part of the learning of the British Culture.
’
orking or W f e c ‘Pla
Playing’ ‘Place for
Existing open ruin pub
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Landscape Design
Fundamental to the scheme is how the public realm at ground level successfully brings and draws people into the space. I want this place to feel eclectic, diverse in revealing different textures and senses.
Landscape palette: the vernacular cobble path, durable concrete, English brick, harding paving, green wall, grass lawn, plant diversity
Eclectic (tectonic review stage)
Fragmentation
Different irregular areas of the landscape is created, following the triangular form at the front. These areas range from hard landscape, such as concrete, brick, paving, to soft landscape, such as grass lawn, flower beds etc. The outside exhibition and outside seating for the pub would be integrated into this landscape.
By breaking up the different areas I sought to blur the edge of the landscape, so as to merge it into the main textured paving. As the auditorium roof at the front is shaped in such a way to direct people to various destinations, the continuing landscape should also be designed to guide people to various locations around the site, whether that be to the residents’ homes, the pub, or the neighbouring ruin pub.
Though varied, it feels unresolved as the areas are tightly constrained within a rectilinear shape.
As well as exploring in plan the continuation of angular, irregular shapes as initiated by the auditorium roofs, I also wanted to explore differing changes in level and thus further giving each space definition and clarity.
LANDSCPAE DESIGN
1:50 Landscape Model
Final Review stage Seeking to simplify and rationalise the different elements within the landscape, I decided to create 3 main areas as defined by its surface treament: outside exhibition (concrete for its durability), outside seating (red brick for its connection with the English vernacular) and a flexible park-like space. It was vital that the adjacent green wall was seen as if it were growing from the ground up and flowing into the above garden, not only ensuring that the green wall remain alive and healthy, but so that it accentuated a visible link between the different garden spaces throughout the centre. Given more time, I would have sought to resolve the landscape plan further, as I feel that I have yet to exploit its full potential.
1:50 Landscape Model
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As the vertical circulation for the building is fully concentrated in one void, it seemed apt to celebrate this, specifically in regard to the staircase. It is evnsioned that the staircase is to be encased in perforated metal, though forever remaining in a silver condiition, as if it were a shiny beacon shooting through the void. The perforated pattern is inspired by a repeated detailed motif found throughout Budapest. The construction of the staircase itself is concrete, acting as a firm base to the hanging panels.
The celebration of metal is highlighted in the building facade; a more detailed and transparent metal lattice reveals the more open and public spaces (exhibition gallery, public library and reading room), whilst perforated metal panels shade the more private and modular rooms (offices and classrooms). Where the two different facades meet, I have sought to articulate this transition in inverting the pattern detail in the lattice so to play off blank areas on the perforated cladding. This inadvertedly provides solar shading.
LATTICE AND PERFORATED
Two silver powder coated aluminium rings, between which an aluminium sheet with a specified pattern detail will be fixed.
At the front of the building where the lattice meets, I’ve detailed the junction in such a way to give a sense that this metal is interlocking with each other, not only giving a sense of sturdiness but also providing a definite end to the facade treatment.
Here, where one layer meets a continuing lattice skin, I have detailed it so that it seems to be merely touching the other.
Here, where the lattice meets the perforated metal facade, it is detailed to be slightly overhanging giving the sense of encasement. The two different facades never physically touch.
Facade design of the aluminium lattice. The golden finish of the sheets bolted between the two rings give a rich and pleasant appearance to the facade.
Silver and black powder coated aluminium rings.
Perforated steel panels, with a natural dark patentation; ageing with the building. Over time this will contrast against the silver aluminium rings.
Lattice and Peforated The treatment of the facade is a discrete exploration of metal, expressed in a lattice and perforated metal panels. Whilst the perforated metal’s density of holes vary according to the function of the modular spaces behind, as mentioned beforehand, the intricacy of metalwork found throughout Budapest is to be tangibly celebrated in the detailing of within the lattice screen. With a diameter of 1340mm, two sets of aluminium rings, one powder coated silver as the external face and black with teh internal, a uniqely designed pattern is to be inserted and bolted between the two rings in the form of circular, steel panels with a golden powder coating finish. Though the Centre is inherently to be a place of learning about British culture, I intentionally decided that the pattern detail was to be directly inspired by the detailing, patterns and motifs found in Budapest. The reason for this is that I believe that by giving the Centre a facade that the people of Budapest can relate to, it will only help to improve the public’s perception and ownership of the public realm. It is something they will find familiar and thus feel comfortable to enter.
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Other Materials Whilst metal may be the most apparent material used in the Centre, the other elements within the building should be specified as to complement the overall palette of materials and give a holistic feel of the spaces created.
The predominant ceiling finish will be a hanging black, metal open cell soffit. This not only gives the appearance of a a ceilingless soffit, but also functions well to hide services and lightiing fixtures.
In-situ concrete with a brown tint to give a sense of warmth. Structural columns will be left exposed to reveal the richness of this material. Service areas and corridors will have a smooth concrete finish which will run flush to adjacent timber flooring. The ground floor will also have an entirely concrete floor finish, due to its hardwearing and durable properties. As well as to avoid cold bridging, the cladding of precast concrete panels in conjunction with 25mm of nanogel insulation where the floor meets the edge also continues the theme of showing the method with which the building has been constructed and the celebration of material.
Black powder coated, steel mullions to contrast against the glass between which they hold.
The floor finish of habitable rooms and public spaces will have warm timber flooring, to contrast beautifully against the exposed concrete columns and concrete floors.
MATERIALITY, STRUCTURE
Structure The building is effectively constructed using two methods: concrete frame and column construction. Supporting the building in a simple and effective manner is crucial to giving the best user experience. I have given the more public places to act as the ‘shop front’ of the building, whilst the more private spaces have been arranged along the side of the site. Instinctively, I felt that this hierarchy and differentiation in function could be further expressed in its structure and construction. Due to the modular nature of the more private spaces, a concrete frame structure, comprising of in-situ load bearing concrete walls and columns and floors will be set up on a regular 6m grid, with downstand beams spanning 10m across. The open-plan arrangment for the exhibition and public library will be supported on four in-situ, circular structural columns set at a maximumn distance of 12m apart, spanned by 500mm deep downstand beams. Piled foundations will be used.
The site would be extensively excavated only within the immediate area of building construction. The landscaped area will be excavated only to an appropiate amount as needed.
Concrete frame construction suits well to the creation of modular spaces, whilst the larger structural columns that support the open plan arrangement of the more public spaces unhinders free movement and flexibility.
Simple in--situ reinforced concrete slabs that sit directly on columns (with downstands) reflect the simplicity of the building’s structural strategy.
The underground auditorium will be constructed of concrete retaining walls, with downstand beams spanning across its maximum 10m span.
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DETAIL SECTION
Detail Section Reading Room Wall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Roof circles 1340mm diameter, 50mm thickness, aluminium box section rings with silver power coating circles 1290mm diameter, aluminium sheet with gold polished finish and punched with specified pattern circles 1340mm diameter, 30mm thickness, aluminium box section rings with black power coating dead load bracket wind restraint schuco FW glazing system steel mullions 200mm deep aluminium box section, black powder coating metal flashing roller blinds integrated in ceiling
1 2 3 4 5 6
Floor single ply membrane 175mm rigid insulation, 3째 double pitch timber firrings 50mm thickness 150mm RC slab suspended ceiling with services, open metal cell soffit, black powder coating lighting fixtures integrated in ceiling
1 2 3 4 5 6
19mm timber flooring 60mm screed, underfloor heating 25mm acoustic insulation 150mm RC slab suspended ceiling with services, open metal cell soffit black powder coating lighting fixtures integrated in ceiling
Modular Rooms (Offices, classrooms) Wall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Floor perforated steel panel, 2mm thickness horizontal 25 x 50 mm box sections precast concrete panel, smooth finish breather membrane 300 mm RC wall schuco AWS 60 opendable windows timber mullions 200mm deep polished timber window sill 15mm gypsum board, matt white paint finish 90mm insulation infill 2 layers of 15mm gypsum board, matt white paint finish 90mm C section, insulation infill
1 2 3 4 5 6
Glazed Walkway 19mm timber flooring 60mm screed, underfloor heating 25mm acoustic insulation 150mm RC slab suspended ceiling with services, open metal cell soffit black powder coating lighting fixtures integrated in ceiling
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Schuco FW 60 glazing system steel mullions 200mm deep, black powder coating precast concrete panel insulation FloorGlaze F60, black painted perimeter drainage channel 30mm stone paving adjustable legs waterproof membrane 50mm rigid insulation 400mm RC wall adjacent exisiting roof open cell ceiling, lighting fixtures integrated in ceiling flush with precast concrete soffit insulation
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150m2 PV and 50m2 solar thermal used extensively on roof to generate electricity and warm water. Considering that Budapest’s lattitude is 47.5° and that the need for energy is highest in the winter, these panels will have a fixed tilt at their optimal winter angle of 66.2°. Through chest-high and clerestorey openings, the 6m high spaces can be cross ventilated. Low energy fans powered by the PV can be used to aid removal of warm air, especially during the summer months. This is particularly viable for the reading room as it is sufficiently higher than neighbouring buildings allowing a relatively uninterrupted prevailing wind flow to drive the natural ventilation. Due to its relatively narrow plan, the modular rooms can be naturally ventilated through openings on its west side. Warm air is drawn out into the corridor on the other side, and can escape with the aid of the already rising warm air from the pub below. Warm air flowing from rooms on the third floor can escape directly through clerestory windows in the glazed corridor.
Warm air inside the pub can be drawn up through the void using stack effect, and escape through louvres in the glass floor above.
The British Pub has openings on its west side meaning that air can flow in naturally and abundantly to cool the busy space. Openings at the top can also mean that when the doors are shut, air can still flow in. The warm air from the auditorium/lighting equipment is drawn out through louvres in the glazed openings at the front and rear end of the auditorium using stack effect. A low energy fan can also be used to aid this removal. If needed, cool air can be pumped in under the seats of the audience, as stark change in the number of inhabitants within the space may cause temperature and humidty to rise too quickly.
ENVIRONMENTAL
Environmental and Sustainablity The Roof community/educational garden comprises of extensive planting in some areas, acting as a natural insulation to the rooftop, reflecting light and heat away from the building. Together with the green landscape on the ground plane, and gardens throughout the Centre, they reduce air pollution and provide cleaner, fresher air.
Underfloor heating will be installed throughout the building, as it is a more efficient system than relying on radiators.
The climate of Budapest is similar to Britain’s, though more with extreme conditions considering that it is in a landlocked country. With temperatures reaching averages of 21-26°C during the summer months, and dropping 0°C in the winter, this presents a challenge to ensure that the building is as passively and naturally ventilated as possible. Due to the fact that Pest in particular is very built up, the opportunity to build up through and beyond the surrounding skyline seemed advantageous and appropiate, ensuring that the building could, to an extent be naturally ventilated by the north-westerly prevailing winds, driving stack effect and cross ventilation.
The perforated metal cladding provide good solar shading.
Further Effective Implementation
The metal lattice provides partial solar shading if infilled with the original design pattern. Where in places the design pattern is inverted and thus the latttice surface becomes more solid, particularly with the southern facade, this inversion of the pattern detail will be used more, and so able to provide better solar shading.
It is important to note the optimal conditions that each of the spaces require, which will help determine when mechanical systems need to be turned on or off so to reduce energy consumption: Library: 21°C, stable humidity between 30-50% (for the sake of archival materials) Classrooms: 18°C Offices: 20°C (people work best between 16-24°C) Auditroium: 20-21°C
Just as I had acknowledged presence and importance of the ground, the roof of the reading room could do something similar in acknowledgment of the sky. Rather than remaining a flat parapet roof, it could be a saw-tooth in form, oriented towards the north so that it could allow natural diffused light into the space below, whilst giving a natural platform on its south back for the placement of solar thermal and photovoltaic cell panels.The pitch will at the winter tilt angle as mentioned previously to maximise the energy intake.
Providing a solar shading strategy is also very important. As mentioned previously, whilst the perforated metal panels provide sufficient protection from the summer sun, it was briefly remarked upon that the facade screen on the south side may prove problematic. I have addressed this issue by inverting the pattern design at optimal heights on this facade, so to provide better shading and protection and reduce chance of overheating.
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Concept Realisation The new building creates a welcoming and vibrant public realm in the form of an open landscaped courtyard, integrating the community together and enhancing exisiting access paths. Together with the existing residential apartments, all the habitable spaces of the centre look out onto the courtyard, with a distinction betwen more public and private spaces. The street front to the building invites people in, with a celebration of metalwork in the facade, together with a tangible visual connection into the auditorium, landscaped space beyond and public spaces in the front facade. Garden spaces, each with an individual nature and role are layered into the building, creating a rich eclectic range of gardens that appropirately honours the British culture and attitude toward gardens.
CONCEPT REALISATION
Vibrant, landscaped public realm
Inclusive and inward looking courtyrd space
Welcoming and animated street front
Layered eclectic garden spaces
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DRAWINGS
Site Plan 0
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Lower Ground Floor Level 0
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Key 1. Auditorium 2. Plant room 3. Toilets
DRAWINGS
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Ground Floor Level 0
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Key 1. Entrace 2. Toilets 3. Pub 4. Outside exhibition 5. Outside seating 6. Public park-like area 7. Bar 8. Kitchen 9. Staff facilities 10. Store 11. Bicyle shelter 12. Exisitng ‘open ruin’ pub
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Mezzanine Floor Level 0
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Key 1. Meeting room
DRAWINGS
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First Floor Level 0
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Key 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Exhibtition space Toilets Classroom Store Language office Student social space Meeting room
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Second Floor Level 0
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Key 1. Toilets 2. Classroom 3. Admin office 4. Staff room
DRAWINGS
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Third Floor Level 0
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Key Key 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Public library Toilets Director’s office IT Manager’s room Library Info and book store Classroom Garden (working/relaxing area) Garden (eating/actvity area)
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Fourth Floor Level 0
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Key 1. General reading space 2. Quiet reading space
DRAWINGS
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Fifth Floor Level 0
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Key 1. Garden (community garden, educational)
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Street Elevation 0
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DRAWINGS
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Short Section 0
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Short Section 0
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DRAWINGS
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Long Section 0
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PERSPECTIVES
Perspectives from 1:200 model. The jutting up of the auditorium roof activates the street front and fosters curiosity and intrigue.
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PERSPECTIVES
Akos and his daughter Agnes has just finished their delghtful lunch in the neighbouring pub and are curious to venture to this new British culture centre that has just been opened. They’ve heard from their friends that there’s this amazing landscaped park where children can freely play and eat their lunch. They also want to see the fascinating art pieces that everyone in the pub had just been discussing.
5
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Perspectives from 1:50 model Corridor perspectives
Public library perspectives
PERSPECTIVES
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MODEL PHOTOS
Photos of 1:200 model
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Photos of 1:200 model
MODEL PHOTOS
Reflection & Final Thoughts The general feedback from the crit was positive, finding little fault with how the building had been arranged and remarked on the its clarity and simplicity. However, with more time there would be a few things I would seek to explore further and thus enhance the public realm and garden: There was the suggestion that the external public space could have a direct tangible link with the auditorium, maybe introducing steps down to a back exit... To accentuate the link between the external garden spaces even more, a permanant pavilion in the outdoor realm could provide a physical. intermediary connection.
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