Újpest New Market-Hall and UP Event Space in Budapest, Hungary by Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Article source: Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

The market place, besides the city hall and the church, has always been the most important part of the center of the 4th district. However, from the 1970s on, the introverted late-modern market buildings and their service area occupied the public space of St. Stephen Square. The purpose of the current transformation is to give this space back to pedestrians and events by the forthcoming demolition of obsolete buildings, while the market is renewed within up-to-date frames.

Front Facade night view, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

• Architects: Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.
• Project: Újpest New Market-Hall and UP Event Space
• Location: Budapest, Hungary
• Software used: ArchiCAD

Elevation Karolyi street, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

The New Market Hall is located on the western border of the square with a two-story shopping area. Loading and storage areas, and an underground garage were placed below the Market Hall with connections provided by elevators. Above the Market Hall, a two-story cultural center was established, which offers spiritual food besides the physical one. The transformation of the surrounding infrastructure (such as eliminating transit traffic) and the transparent building allows the prospective outdoor public space to be continued within the hall and to function together. This “compactness” and the mixed use extends the operation of the building over time.

Front Facade with sun-shading, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Elevation Liszt street, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

The “openness” was a major factor in the design program both visually (with glass facades) and in a contextual way (with all-direction access), and it wants to be clearly transparent that is to say „honest”. The building wants to expose all its systems and functions – whether it is traffic (panoramic elevators), or a support structure (primarily the exposed concrete structures and secondarily steel elements). The building performs and at the same time is the framework for events: it is a neutral, monochrome frame of a very “colourful” market and culture. Therefore, the complex owns a unified character, subtle tones, and emphasized light conditions. The “background house”, from a distance, acts as living scenery of the St. Stephen Square during day and night.

Aerial view, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Transparency of Liszt street elevation, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Showing the operation of the building is also desirable because the upper levels have to be attractive to counteract their obvious disadvantageous position. Therefore, in addition to programmatic considerations, a visually accentuated lobby with high ceilings was placed in front of the square that is to be renovated. Later on, a promenade with green areas on the first-floor and a rooftop garden on the top of the market hall will be connected to the lobby. The interconnecting triplet of these spaces, with uniform built and natural appearance, will become public which is a key element of the “open house” concept.

Market Hall, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Lobby 2nd Floor, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

The consistency of program, structure and appearance can be found in the exposed concrete support structures, in the corresponding fiber-cement elevation cladding, in the natural aluminum structures and surfaces, and in the independent, floating, closed, glittering white cube of the cultural centre. In the latter space, wooden wall panels, wall-to-wall carpets, acoustic suspended ceilings “soften” the strict and lean system, while the multifunctional grand hall provides a black-box frame for events.

Lobby 1st Floor, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Multifunctional Space – with seats, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

The concrete itself is a feature element. The rigor of the main structural grid is dynamized by the diagonal patterned lattice of the ceiling of the market hall, which can be perceived even from outside.

The scale of the building fits in the surrounding enclosed small-town block structure and height. Living in symbiosis with the context, the cooling-heating system uses waste heat recovered from urban wastewater, the shading system of the exterior light and the control of the LED lighting are automatically synchronized, and graywater is utilised by the building.

Looking out from the gallery of the market hall, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Roof Terrace, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Render of Prospective Square, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

BIM-section-through-floor 3, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

BIM-section-through-floor 1, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Floor plan 0, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Floor plan 1, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Floor plan 2, Image Courtesy © Firka Építész Stúdió Kft.

Tags: Budapest, Hungary

Categories: ArchiCAD, Building, Cafe, complex, Cultural Center, Event space, Garden, Hall, Lobby, Market, Multipurpose Hall, public spaces, Renovation, Shop, shopping center, Terrace

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