The Józsefváros Local Government and the Rév8 Zrt. started the Magdolna District project in 2005 because the 8th district of Budapest was below the urban average in every aspect. So their aim was to stop the accumulation of the herited drawbacks and finally revert them.
- architect in charge: György ALFÖLDI - Rév8;
architects: Csilla SÁRKÉNY, József KOLOSSA,
collaborating architects: Lea SZABÓ, Katalin BARTHA KKOLOSSÁNÉ, Zsófia GLATZ
- year of design/construction: 2002-2004/2006-2008
- photography: © Tamás BUJNOVSZKY, the architects
As part of the program the improvement of the Mátyás square and the restructuring of the old Glove Factory to a community center happened. The design process was spesific in an aspect that not only the consequence was important but the process itself. In the first steps towards to the creation a concept the architects involved the inhabitants , they organised local arguments in theirn own interest. This new and rarely-used attitude created the image of the Mátyás square. The Corvinus University’s students and tutors and the Hungarian Geographical Research Institue’s staff contributed to the process as well.
The „Glove Factory” Community Center was built within the program. The aim of the architectural design is to attract the people without any kind of ostentation. The original, run-down but valuable building was refurbished and received a new staircase. The confident appereance, the painted raw concrete, the plastered surfaces and the exciting colourful interiors provide a simple but powerful impact. The personalconnection is given by the colourful pictures of the gipsy painter from the neighbour school.
The bulding kept its traditional, L shaped, closed building line, partal form. The white facade -except for the colourful window-frames- opens to the Rév8 ossice’s door. Behind the portal from the inner courtyard, from a protected situation you can get into the advisor office. Although this area can be used freely as a kind of architectural thought and as a transitional space it functions as a foreground.
In the building the rooms have different functions, such as youth counseling office, meeting room and traditional community centre. Mátyás square was expanded with a public toilet, the closure of surrounded streets places the emphasis on the pedestrians. The clean, generous "Glove Factory" is now full of life, and found its place in the development of the area.
translation: Rita DOLMÁNY
Data:
- client: Józsefváros Municipality, Budapest
- The building on the homepage of the design team;
