Pavilions, Budapest

The area around the former river harbour lies in the southern part of Buda. In 2005 a competition was organized for a large-scale thermal baths and aquatic centre at the head of the harbour, beside the approach to the Lágymányos Bridge. Second prize was shared by Erick van Egeraat and Gábor Turányi and his son Bence (T2a). The Hungarian practice's entry went beyond the competition brief and included a development proposal for the dam that lies between the river and the harbour. The jury was sufficiently impressed by these ideas to commission T2a to develop them further.

Before the current owner (property developer Öböl XI Ltd. Harbour of the 11th district) acquired the site, the narrow dam was dotted with a variety of modest wooden barracks which were home to the water police, a number of restaurants and the popular West Balkan Club. Turányi proposed erecting the new pavilions on exactly the same spot as these old structures and employing a timber building typology characteristic of the waterfront. With their simple shape and mostly timber detailing, these unpretentious little buildings radiate a certain timelessness and lightness. So too the new pavilions.

The outdoor area has been carefully landscaped by Garten Stúdió. The only pity is that the wooden bridges, balustrades and outdoor furniture were not designed by T2a, as these elements lack the coherent detailing of the buildings. Nonetheless, the area as a whole has the potential to be a resounding success. The location is particularly outstanding in that it offers water views on two sides of the dam. It is to be hoped that the pedestrian bridge at the end of the 800-metre-long dam, designed by Bence Vadasz, will also be realized in the near future as this will improve the area’s accessibility. At any rate, a big car park is being laid out at the main entrance on the north side of the site, where the water police have already settled into their new premises, a long, light-coloured building that looks rather like a boat on the Danube.