ZÁÉV wins 18th Construction Industry Quality Award – Prestigious recognition in 2025 for the construction of the Szekszárd Knowledge Centre

A ZÁÉV is the second oldest operating construction company in Hungary. The company's legal predecessor was founded in Zalaegerszeg in 1949. With a history spanning nearly eight decades, ZÁÉV has become a key player in the Hungarian construction industry with its buildings designed for educational, scientific, sporting and cultural purposes.

In connection with the Construction Industry Quality Award, we would like to mention a few examples from the latter area only, without claiming to be exhaustive, in relation to the Szekszárd Knowledge Centre, which was recognised with the Construction Industry Quality Award, we will mention just a few of the buildings constructed by ZÁÉV in the latter area, without claiming to be exhaustive.

The ZÁÉV in the service of culture

The experts at ZÁÉV, which has received more than 80 prestigious awards, have helped to preserve and enrich our cultural heritage by carrying out projects such as, amongst others, Göcsej Museum, the Mindszentyneum, the Ethnographic Museum and Visitor Centre, the Kaposvár Csiky Gergely Theatre in Kaposvár, or the creation of a new venue for the National Dance Theatre.

Thanks to the work of the staff at ZÁÉV, the Gül Baba Tomb and its surroundings have been renovated, and the Porcelanium in Herend has been realised. rel="noopener">Gül Baba Türbe and its surroundings, and the Porcelanium in Herend was realised.

The library and archives were built on the site of military facilities.

The Szekszárd Knowledge Centre was built by ZÁÉV Építőipari Zrt. based on the Építész Alkotóműhely Kft. licence and implementation plans, as part of a brownfield investment project involving the reuse of the former Szekszárd barracks site.

The three-storey institution, with a gross floor area of 3,500 square metres, combines the Tolna County Illyés Gyula Library and the Tolna County Archives in a modern, L-shaped layout.

The funds preserved the Széchenyi Street building of the Szekszárd library as the first building in Hungary after 1945 that was built specifically for library purposes. The institution developed at such a pace that it became cramped within a few years of its opening.

Buzz and tranquillity – The building serves both researchers and cultural events

The work of the building's designers was recognised with the Alfréd Forbát Award. Their solutions bridged the gap between the different functions and the needs of their users. They ensured the silence and solitude necessary for archival research, as well as the inviting openness required by the library's reading room and the institution's event hall.

A huge collection of documents and books was placed in the institution.

The exterior appearance is defined by a curtain wall covering more than 1,000 m² and large-format façade panels in light and dark grey, covering an area of nearly 2,500 m².

The load-bearing structure of the reinforced concrete pillar frame building and its monolithic reinforced concrete floor structure provide the load-bearing capacity required for archival and library functions. The archive section has been fitted with an electronically operated shelving system that meets modern requirements, which required precise mechanical and structural engineering design.

300,000 volumes and 10 kilometres of documents were moved from the two institutions to the modern environment.

A building with nearly zero energy consumption has been constructed

The different parts of the building are connected by the auditorium. Adjacent to this are the cloakroom, the café and the event hall, which can accommodate 200 people. The building services and electrical systems are based on state-of-the-art, energy-efficient solutions: heat pump cooling and heating, intelligent control and automated shading ensure sustainable operation. Four lifts have been installed in the barrier-free building. A total of 3×152 solar panels have been installed on the roof, with a total capacity of 150 kWp. The smart building operates with near-zero energy consumption.

An outdoor event venue is also connected to the Knowledge Centre.

During the works, the experts at ZÁÉV paid special attention to the integration of barrier-free transport, fire protection and safety systems, as well as the precise coordination of various specialist subcontractors. As part of the project, 5,200 square metres of green space and a new community area were created, including car parks, bicycle storage facilities and walkways. The investment has thus provided Szekszárd not only with a building, but also with an urban meeting point. Sixty-two surface parking spaces and thirty bicycle storage facilities provide parking for vehicles.

Attila Berlinger, mayor of Szekszárd, described the city's new cultural institution as visually stunning and impressive upon entering. The people of Szekszárd quickly grew fond of the Knowledge Centre building, and young people enjoy coming here to do their homework. The spacious reading room is incomparable to the one in the old building; it is bright and offers opportunities for concentration thanks to its separate nooks, said János Liebhauser, the library's director, describing the building. The Knowledge Centre serves community and cultural life both inside and out. In stark contrast to its former military function, the facility has become a centre for cultural and scientific life: the interior spaces were designed for community use, natural light and human scale. This has earned it one of the most prestigious awards in the Hungarian profession.