Architects: Boczkó Architects Location: Vác, Hungary Project Team: Zoltán Gábor Szepesi & Zsuzsanna Mohai Landscaping: Hajlék Tervező Bt., Vácduka Structural Engineering: Kerek és Pintér Kft, Budapest Electrical Engineering: Dinamic Kft, Gödöllő Building Services: Mopemedia Kft, Vác Fire Services: Brolex Kft, Budapest Project area: 360 sqm Project year: 2010-2011 Photographs: Ákos Boczkó
The construction site for the reformed church is located in Vác, in a small Hungarian town near the capital Budapest. The aim was to design a recent and modern church with low budget. The contour of the building has been determined by the amorphous shape of the building site, with the slightly curved streetline on both land-side and the road sight / view.
The shape of the building has to communicate the austerity and unornamented design of the reformed church in a contemporary architectural language. The considerations above have led to the introduction of the curved side walls, hands clasped in prayer imitated building in an abstract way. The crowd longitudinal axis of the plot have been designated by the asymmetrical entrance interlocking “fingers” due to a little away from the noisy main road.
The long axis along the funnel-like entrance hall leads to the church’s meeting area, with the focus being the altar-table. Along the axis, under the little finger of the clasped hand one will find the exit from the shop to the cascet-garden. The construction of the asymmetric structure helps increase visual access with benches turned delicately toward the pulpit. Since the space is not large, visitors still feel like part of a large family, centered around the altar-table, even while sitting on the last row of benches. The implementation of a puritan and sincere interior was a also a goal, with modern architecture resources and the use of light as building blocks.
The proposed solution for this was the interlocking “fingers” and the snow-white dome-like structure. The light sweeps into the ship through the gaps between the fingers clasped lighting the faithfuls psalmist’s books. The form allows indirect light to enter while keeping out the street traffic noise. It’s dazzling and irrespective of which direction the sun is shining from. The article choir has been the spice of asymmetric design which quasi turns onto the pulpit. Thanks to the gradually increasing floor level, he choir stand is easily seen from the rear benches as well.
The 21st century secular people can be brought to the church more easily if the ecclesia helped in the everyday concerns besides the preaching: eg. reserve spaces for the childcare and for parents with children. Two of these rooms also have been made into a the gallery for children, grouped by age, so they can play without interfering with the ongoing worship in the main ship. Since the site is part of the 60% floorspace common park, we would lilke to take advantage of this unpleasant narrowing form.
The altogether 60-70 cm high “groundwaves” of the green space united in a common wave along the main road following the curved wall of the Church. It’s the ground-buttress of the building at the same time and is implanted with low bush-line. The separate Campanilla is inspired by the strong body of the church, which is unimaginable combined with the building. The white tower is decorated only with the lacy wall structure perforated with gaps increasing in size as they increase in height.
The outer covering of the church shall reflect the inner purity with traditional white walls, yet be resistant, requiring little maintenance. It is an expectation from every built-in structure to be economically built, sustainable, mechanically modern, and energy-efficient.
