A joint success: a sign now highlights the quality of the M12 OTP office building

In 2023, four of the awards in the 23rd Construction Industry Quality Award competition were given to projects carried out by Market Építő Zrt., which clearly demonstrates the performance, significance and quality of the work of one of Hungary's most influential construction companies.

"It is a great honour and a great pride for me to have been in charge of this exemplary project"

– Norbert Farkas, technical director of the OTP M12 office building project, told our newspaper after the end-of-year awards ceremony. As the general contractor, Market Építő Zrt. was able to build a large-scale office building of exceptional quality for Hungary's leading bank in Budapest, which all participants can be justifiably proud of. On 5 June, the Quality Award plaque was placed in the lobby of the building, and at the ceremony, the project's investor and contractor highlighted their most memorable moments.

Harmonious and supportive building

Judit Oláh, CEO of OTP Ingatlanlízing Zrt. said that the negotiations with Market on the high-rise construction contract were a defining experience for her.In February 2019, despite the many negotiations, it seemed far away that OTP employees could take possession of the building, and today thousands of people have been working here for two years. And the work environment is comfortable, flexible, environmentally friendly, community-building and cohesive, according to feedback from employees; a truly 21st century complex.

"The M12 investment process and the resulting building are a symbol of the strength, stability and future of the OTP Bank"

- said Judit Oláh, adding that "I wish for all of us that when we look back on the milestones of the M12 (planning, civil engineering, building construction, bushwalk celebrations or the inauguration ceremony), today's award ceremony should be an important part of them." As he stressed:

"I wish all OTP employees to draw from the harmony of the building. And that the building supports the challenges of everyday life."

It took three years of hard work to succeed

In his speech, Norbert Farkas, Technical Director of Market Építő Zrt. summed up the essence of the project: the M12 is not only a building, but also a modern working environment and a facility with innovative architectural solutions, which reflects three years of persistent work. The award, which recognizes the quality of the building, also appreciates the work of the project team, which of course does not only mean Market Építő Zrt. or the construction teams, but also the investor, the contractor and the designer. Without them, a building of this quality would not have been possible.

"Such a building and quality can only be the result of the concerted work of a team working together"

- said Norbert Farkas, who also drew attention to the fact that the huge lobby, which symbolises the foundation, volume and stability of the OTP, is a good example of the thoughtfulness of the innovative, sustainable building. The interior design elements, especially the cladding, present a clean and thoughtful building to the employees. And the lines of the external cladding, which also link the key elements, communicate the company's values to all those who pass by. This has been a challenge to achieve, but perhaps the most important architectural element is the display of biophilia in the building. As he explained:

"if you walk around here, you will find a rich vegetation everywhere, which greatly increases the comfort of the people who work here"

COVID has been monitoring the construction from the very beginning, which required a lot of precautions.

"It was a great achievement that we completed our tasks on time, despite the coronavirus epidemic. In the same way, this moment of celebration is not only to highlight our past efforts, but also to inspire us to achieve similar high quality buildings," said the Technical Director in his speech.

A distinguished role, exceptional solutions

László Wéber, President of the Construction Industry Master Award Foundation , explaining the background of the decision, said that the most important organisations representing the architecture and construction industry in Hungary jointly decided that the new office building of OTP deserves the best of the best award. The Construction Excellence Award is "given by the profession to the profession".

"So," asked László Wéber, "what is the purpose of the prize? To show that it is worth creating something good and beautiful; to support each other in the process and to do good work together. Ultimately, our aim is to raise the profile of the construction profession in the broad sense."

As the Evaluation Committee pointed out in its assessment, the building excels in meeting the client's two main criteria: the concentration of two dozen dispersed workplaces and the creation of a highly employee-friendly environment.

The building was designed with harmonious proportions, good massing, sophisticated architectural solutions and the use of building materials and structures. It creates a truly green and natural atmosphere for the thousands of employees who work here.

Its building services solutions also serve this purpose excellently, as proven by the LEED Gold building certification. "In this jubilee year, it is a great pleasure to inaugurate the plaque of such a great work of art", concluded the President of the Foundation.

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Following the welcome speeches, Peter Bálint, Vice-Chairman of the Construction Industry Excellence Award Jury presented the certificates to the project's outstanding contractors. The subcontractors nominated by the general contractor Market Építő Zrt. received recognition, as the smooth cooperation between the contractors is an important part of the judging of the Award of Excellence. Certificates were therefore awarded to

• a Fairtech Kft.,
• the MPA System Kft. and
• a Nordikal Kft.

The quality of their work will determine the physical representation of OTP's values for decades to come.