Zsolnay Cultural District - Pécs - Hungarian architecture

The MCXVI Architects got the possibility for designing the Zsolnay Cultural District - as part of the Cultural Capital of Europe - by winning the international architectural competition in 2008.

Architects in charge: MCXVI építésziroda; Katalin CSABA - Craftsman's Quarter László HERCZEG - University Quarter Tamás János PINTÉR - Creative and Family Quarter
year of design/construction: 2008/2009-2011
photography: © Tamás TÖRÖK, © László PETHŐ, © Árpád KOVÁCS, © MCXVI

It soon turned ot that the size of the project is too big for a single arcitectural firm – one suitable solution would have been the enlargement of the office to make it a big, hierarchical organisation. The young architects choose a completely different way - they created a network-model: invited nine other architectural offices and divided the large area among themselfes. The competition-winner MCXVI – as a general-designer team – created a network that was based on trust, on similar architectural and moral values shared by these offices.

„Even the competition itself was more like jazz. The leading role was constantly changing, like during an improvisation in a three-piece jazz-ensemble. Harmony worked…” (László HERCZEG : Jazz)

animation: Eszter HORVÁTH, modelling: Márton Ferenc VÖRÖS

The huge, 55.000 sqm area (the gross area of the buildings altogether: 37.000 m2) required different architectual solutions. In the Craftsman's Quarter the aim was to open the different courtyards together, to make the accessible; in the Creative Quarter they had to free the existing structures from later additions. In the Family and Children's Quarter huge park-areas were created; in the University Quarter new, perfectly fitting buildings were built by careful alterations of the existing buildings. The result is a varied, rich enseble wih international architectural values, still keeping the heterogeneous quality that always belonged to the area – the Zsolnay Quarter got numerous architectrural prizes after being finished.

translation: Bálint MAROSI

THE UNIVERSITY QUARTER

Pedestrian Bridge, Visitor's Center - E 01 (see: Hungarian description with pictures - in építészfórum.hu - 2012. június 21.)

leading architect: László HERCZEG - MCXVI
architect: Hajdú Gábor
collaborating architect: Álmos Gergely
scale (br): ~700 m2

PTE Faculty of Art, Ceramics Research Workshop - E 02

architect: Pethő László - GEON Építészstúdió Kft. collaborating architects: Molnár Zsófia, Nagy Zsuzsa, Tolnay Barbara, Vörös-Végh Zsuzsanna
interior design: Pethő László, Göde András, Juhász Veronika
graphical works: Juhász Veronika

PTE Faculty of Art, Institute of Music - E22 (see: Hungarian description with pictures - in építészfórum.hu - 2012. július 31.)

leading architect: Pethő László - GEON Építészstúdió Kft.
collaborating architect: Molnár Zsófia, Nagy Zsuzsa, Tolnay Barbara, Vörös-Végh Zsuzsanna
interior design: Pethő László, Göde András, Juhász Veronika
graphical works: Juhász Veronika
scale (br) (a Művészeti és Zeneművészeti együtt): 5854 m2

PTE Faculty of Humanities - E25 (see: Hungarian description with pictures - in: építészfórum, 2012. augusztus 28.)

architect: Sztojka Gábor, Koós Marianna, Donkó Eszter - s.m.all design műterem
interior design: s.m.all design építészműterem és a PINXIT Design Studio - Koczoh Judit, Szabó Bernadett
graphical works: Nagy Róbert
scale (br): 2320 m2

Faculty of Fine Arts - E 32-33 (see: Hungarian description with pictures - in építészfórum.hu - 2012. június 22.)

architect in charge: László HERCZEG - MCXVI
architects: Weichinger Mónika, Borsos Melinda
collaborating architect: Álmos Gergő, Kunczi András, Mechle Balázs, Rantal Gábor
scale (br): 4500 m2

PTE Faculty of Arts, Sculptural Department and new University Theater - E 34-74 (see: Hungarian description with pictures - in építészfórum.hu - 2012. június 22.)

architect: Somogyi Tamás, Tóth Tamás - Térlabor Kft.
scale (br): 3132 m2

Parking - E 82 (see: Hungarian description with pictures - in építészfórum.hu - 2012. július 5.)

architect: László HERCZEG - MCXVI
collaborating architect: Kormányos Anna
scale (br): ~5000 m2

CREATIVE QUARTER

Sikorski House, Gyugyi collection - E 24 (see: Hungarian description with pictures - in építészfórum.hu - 2012. július 24.)

architect: Laczó Zoltán - ABORA Kft.
collaborating architects: Barna Balázs, Pálóczi Tibor

Rehearsal rooms, Contemporary Arts Center - E 26,27,28,78 (see: Hungarian description with pictures - in: építészfórum, 2012. június 28.)

architect: Tamás János PINTÉR, Papp Glória, Mórocz Tamás - MCXVI
collaborating architect: Szlovák János, Balogh Bence, Lukács Eszter, Hajdú Gábor
scale: 5700 m²

FAMILY AND CHILDREN'S QUARTER

Bóbita Puppet Theater- E 30 (see: Hungarian description with pictures - in építészfórum.hu - 2012. október 12.)

architect: Kamarás Bálint, Molnos Attila, Szilvási Attila - TAAT építész műterem
collaborating architect: Bende Attila
theater-technology: Strack Lőrinc
scale (br): 2000 m2