B+B MÅ°TEREM – RECONÂSTRUCÂTION OF THE THE SAINT MARÂTIN PARISH
DesignÂer | Tamas Berecz DLA | |
LocaÂtion | Váci út 91/b, 1139, Budapest, Hungary | |
Design Team |
Tamás Berecz DLA, AttiÂla Batári DLA |
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Year | 2017 | |
PhoÂto credits |
ExterÂnal Photos: InterÂnal Photos: |
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PhoÂto external
Project descripÂtion
Homage to socialÂist modernism
MonÂuÂment to an era
A promiÂnent archiÂtecÂturÂal monÂuÂment datÂing back to the not so remote past of HunÂgarÂiÂan socialÂism stands on one of the busiest thorÂoughÂfares of Budapest. Its designÂer, István Szabó, became a culÂtic church-builder of the era at the end of his vastÂly proÂducÂtive archiÂtecÂturÂal career spent in the serÂvice of the dicÂtaÂtorÂship, when already a penÂsionÂer and askÂing no remuÂnerÂaÂtion for his work. His first church, which evenÂtuÂalÂly funcÂtioned as a startÂing point for the comÂproÂmise conÂcludÂed between the VatÂiÂcan and the Kádár regime, received the blessÂing of Pope Paul VI.
The Saint MarÂtin parish church was the last project of his oeuÂvre. It was built in 1985 in the style CenÂtral EuroÂpean hisÂtoÂriÂans of archiÂtecÂture now refer to as socialÂist modÂernism. DurÂing the thirÂty years after its conÂstrucÂtion, the enviÂrons of the church underÂwent radÂiÂcal changes defined by three main facÂtors: (i) the quarÂter once inhabÂitÂed by the socialÂist workÂing class disÂapÂpeared, while the facÂtoÂries and the indusÂtriÂal plants were replaced by generÂic, late-postÂÂmodÂÂern office buildÂings; (ii) the buildÂing itself deteÂriÂoÂratÂed due to wear and tear and its techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal soluÂtions grew obsoÂlete partÂly as a conÂseÂquence of the economisÂing pracÂtice imposed upon the indusÂtry by the shortÂage econÂoÂmy and partÂly because of the genÂerÂalÂly poor work morale that domÂiÂnatÂed the buildÂing secÂtor of the time; (iii) last but not least, the altered role of the Catholic Church also played a part. After the changes of 1989, the reliÂgious perÂseÂcuÂtion that had preÂvailed in HunÂgary durÂing socialÂism was folÂlowed by a sociÂetal and politÂiÂcal restoraÂtion. These reaÂsons togethÂer evenÂtuÂalÂly led to the deciÂsion made in 2014 about the reconÂstrucÂtion of the parish church.
The project proÂvidÂed the archiÂtects with the opporÂtuÂniÂty to reconÂsidÂer the funcÂtions of the buildÂing and to redeÂfine its diaÂlogue with its surÂroundÂings. They set two major objecÂtives: (i) firstÂly, they wished to creÂate a transÂparÂent comÂmuÂniÂcaÂtion in the inteÂriÂor of the buildÂing, so to this effect they terÂmiÂnatÂed the exteÂriÂor stairÂcase that was unfit for use by the elderÂly and the physÂiÂcalÂly disÂabled. The new entrance was moved to the ground floor, while the adjoinÂing vestibule was designed to funcÂtion as a startÂing point for impresÂsiveÂly comÂplex spaces: the comÂmuÂnal area ideÂal among othÂers for wedÂdings opens from here, just like the newÂly built stairÂcase that leads to the upper levÂel of the church inteÂriÂor. Beyond the funcÂtionÂal and techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal modÂerniÂsaÂtion, the othÂer goal was (ii) to cleanse the church, which they approached as a kind of ’urban found object’, from the depositÂed eleÂments that were gradÂuÂalÂly added to it conÂtrary to the origÂiÂnal design conÂcept. In order to realise this, the bell-gable on the west eleÂvaÂtion was demolÂished, the buildÂing was stripped of the redunÂdant canopies, and the funcÂtionÂless openÂings were walled up.
The expanÂsion of the church buildÂing can be best likened to preÂciÂsion surgery. As the regÂuÂlaÂtions allowed rather limÂitÂed room for manoeuÂvre, the new funcÂtions were ‘packed into’ a mereÂly two-metre block with a highÂly comÂplex spaÂtial strucÂture. Thanks to the wall-like comÂpleÂmenÂtaÂtion of the church’s sculpÂturÂal volÂume and the demoÂliÂtion of the old exteÂriÂor stairÂcase, the buildÂing regained its origÂiÂnal crysÂtalline monÂuÂmenÂtalÂiÂty that it had lost in the tight embrace of the subÂseÂquentÂly conÂstructÂed office buildÂings around it. This corÂnerÂstone aspect of the design is furÂther enhanced by the inteÂgraÂtion of the forÂmerÂly freeÂstandÂing cruÂciÂfix into the body of the church.
The archiÂtects did not want to drasÂtiÂcalÂly alter the church inteÂriÂor but they made three sigÂnifÂiÂcant addiÂtions: (i) they comÂpletÂed the altar, (ii) they erectÂed a new chapel in lieu of the old entrance, (iii) and installed a false ceilÂing sysÂtem remÂiÂnisÂcent of the roof strucÂture includÂed in the origÂiÂnal archiÂtecÂturÂal plans but nevÂer actuÂalÂly implemented.
The church was unveiled in autumn 2017 and was blessed by CarÂdiÂnal Péter ErdÅ‘, who is ArchÂbishÂop of EszterÂÂgom-Budapest and PriÂmate of HunÂgary. The cerÂeÂmoÂniÂal openÂing was also attendÂed by Orsolya Szabó, the daughÂter of the building’s origÂiÂnal designÂer, who activeÂly parÂticÂiÂpatÂed in the project, helpÂing the team to evoke the spirÂit of István Szabó, while satÂisÂfyÂing conÂtemÂpoÂrary expectations.
Prof. Dr. Andor WesÂselényi-Garay PhD., habil.
dipl. Arch., dipl. Urban Designer
The archiÂtects received the Pro ArchiÂtecÂtura award for design in 2018 and in the same year the buildÂing won the House of the Year award in the pubÂlic buildÂing category.
IllusÂtraÂtive project report
DownÂload report
TechÂniÂcal drawings