Church, Szentendre

Some twenty kilometres north of Budapest stands the little town of Szentendre (Hungarian for 'Saint Andrew'). Today it is known as an 'art town' because of its many art galleries; at the beginning of the twentieth century it was home to a colony of artists seeking refuge from the big city in this picturesque location.

The town is also known for its many Christian Orthodox churches. Over three centuries ago many Serbians, as well as Dalmatians and Greeks, settled in the Hungarian lowlands, and Szentendre became an Orthodox enclave within Catholic Hungary. In addition to six Serbian Orthodox churches and a Roman Catholic church, Szentendre now has a new Evangelical Lutheran church.

At the end of the twentieth century, the Evangelical Lutherans conceived the idea of building a new church on the site of a small Protestant church dating from the 1950s. The first design was refused a building permit on the grounds that it was too massive and exuberant for its small-scale setting on the edge of the old town, just the other side of a bridge over a small river. In 2000 it was decided to hold a competition for the design of a church, pastor's dwelling and communal space. Five architectural firms with a track record in church design were invited to take part. The plan by Szentendre-based architect Jószef Kocsis won first prize.

Kocsis decided to house the programme elements in three separate volumes. The pastor's dwelling and the communal space are located along a narrow street on the northern side of the plot. These two, slightly offset volumes are finished in stucco while the church itself is constructed of small blocks of grey andesite, a volcanic stone quarried locally.

The church is situated on the side facing the river, thus giving rise to a natural transition in scale from the narrow street to the open space beside the bridge. The architect chose to place the entrance to the church on the west side, thereby respecting the traditional east–west axis of Christian churches and at the same time creating a splendid layered approach that echoes the succession of alleys and squares so typical of the historic centre of Szentendre. From the small forecourt on the street side, visitors pass through a steel gate and walk beside the church along a narrow path between church and river. The soothing sound of running water is reflected by the solid stone facade of the church. The path continues past the freestanding, openwork campanile, ending in a small parvis in front of the doors to the church.

A small, low-ceilinged lobby leads visitors underneath the balcony and into the main body of the church, which surprises with its height. All the walls and the ceiling are finished in a satiny, light blue Venetian stucco. The interior, including the wooden pews and the pulpit, were designed by Kocsis' sons, Barnabás and Gáspár. The stained glass in the round west window above the balcony was designed by an artist from the Lutheran community. Behind the altar, a slender steel cross hangs on a gently canted wall. Indirect light from above falls on this blue wall, creating a wonderful numinous effect. To the left of the altar is a wide wooden sliding door. When this is fully opened the communal space becomes part of the church.

The entire complex was built in less than a year by a local contractor. Because the architect lives and works in the town, he was able to monitor the quality of the work on an almost daily basis, making it possible to take decisions or alter details during the course of construction. As a result, Szentendre has acquired a compelling eighth church, sober and understated, tautly detailed and with a strong and elegant campanile.