The past and the future at the Kőbánya Architecture Award ceremony

The Mayor of Kőbánya, Róbert Antal D. Kovács, welcomed the guests to the renewed Kőbánya Town Hall. As he pointed out, the competition to celebrate the architectural values of the district was launched with an important aim, as Kőbánya has undergone significant changes in the last decade. Conscious urban development efforts and the solutions of investors and developers point in the same direction: building on the past to bring the future.

The city's industrial and historical past has created assets that must be preserved. However, there is a major break in the history of Kőbánya: the rust belts are a sign that traditional industry has ceased and the fabric of the city needs to be rethought.

"It shows the result of our efforts that we have been awarded the Hild Prize for our efforts for the development of the city," he stressed.

It has also brought in new players whose activities show the solutions that are worth pursuing to set the district on a new course. Fortunately, the municipality has a number of partners in this process, as shown by the 23 applications received in response to the call for proposals.

"We need to create a city that can respond to the challenges of today, whether environmental or social. We must work together on this," the mayor said.

The aim of this year's first edition of the competition was to showcase the value of newly built or exemplarily renovated or extended buildings by awarding the prize, thus giving publicity to houses of value. It was not an easy task for the jury, which finally awarded eight of the 23 buildings and four of the 23 buildings with the Kőbánya Architecture Prize.

Four buildings have been awarded

• HFZS family house (at Márga street 21/B)

Zsófia Horváth-Farkas and Sándor Horváth, owner and responsible designer, received the award for the extension of their family house. It is commendable that although the house is not a listed building, the designers took great care to preserve the character and architectural details of the original house, which they also added contemporary elements in terms of form and materials.

• residential building at 11, Hölgy utca

Vera Jankovits and Miklós Mártonffy, owner and responsible designer (Marius Studio), and Pesti Renovator Kft., as the contractor, received the Kőbánya Architecture Award for the renewal of the Eclectic Street facade. The renovation of the building on Hölgy utca is a tribute to Kőbánya's civic past. The renovation of the façade of the residential building aimed to fully restore the original state with meticulously elaborated and executed details - which even included the discovery of a sketch of a sekko.

• Richter Gedeon Visitor Centre (Gyömrői út 8-48.)

The award for the renovation and extension of an existing building was given to the owner Richter Gedeon Nyrt, the responsible designer György Selényi (ketteS Studio) and the contractor Ladányi and Társa Kft. According to the evaluation, the Visitor Centre is a good example of the architectural change of Richter Gedeon Nyrt. Its high architectural quality is demonstrated by the entrance space formed by a "house within a house" structure.

• Hungarian State Opera and Erkel Theatre Eiffel Workshop and Rehearsal Centre (Kőbányai út 30.)

The Hungarian State Opera House, with Miklós Marosi as the responsible designer, Középülettervező Zrt., and the contractor STRABAG Zrt. won the award for the conversion of the industrial monument. The vehicle repair hall of MÁV, which was in operation until 2009, has been preserved in good condition and has been renovated to an excellent standard thanks to the good cooperation between the designers and the contractor. The Eiffel Workshop can be a real model for the revitalisation of disused industrial buildings along the Kőbányai road.

Eight buildings have been commended

Among others, the building "Bosch Budapest Innovation Campus" at 14, Robert Bosch Street was commended. The Robert Bosch Kft. as the owner, Marina Annus as the responsible designer (CÉH Zrt) and Market Építő Zrt. as the contractor, who contributed to the construction of the new complex, received the award.

According to the jury's assessment, the company has done an outstanding job in expanding its R&D base in Budapest on the brownfield site of a former textile factory. The development of the innovation campus has created a character in keeping with the urban structure of the area: the work of the participants has created a well-ordered townscape along the perimeter and has even given the district a real gateway.

As pointed out by Silárd Gyurka, head of the Robert Bosch Kft. construction planning and execution department, this project is also significant in the life of Bosch, as we asked him in a quick reply. It is the largest automotive development centre outside Germany in Europe. The area of the Budapest campus has more than doubled thanks to the investment, which clearly shows its scale. Bosch's colleagues quickly and extensively put the new complex to use following its inauguration.