With the construction of the Pázmány Campus behind the National Museum, the sense of an urban campus is further strengthened in the Palotanegyed, Inner Ferencváros, and the adjoining parts of the city center. Raising awareness of this, filling in the missing connecting elements, and enhancing permeability are desirable from an urban planning perspective. University districts in major cities around the world have always been strong economic magnets, tourist destinations, and well-sustainable, high-quality residential areas.

In redesigning the former tobacco factory, we considered it our task to connect with the pedestrian-friendly zones emerging in the surrounding squares and streets. Our goal was to preserve as much of the park area as possible, which is why we concentrated most of the functions on the Kinizsi Street site. At the same time, the Markusovszky-Károli Square will become a clear carrier of the identity of the Reformed University. We made the now-public university campus park clearly identifiable by highlighting and positioning the library-chapel complex. Our building faces the Károli Park with a series of arcades. These transitional spaces and external staircases can serve as proper connections to the completely renovated park.

We also did not want to build over the space in front of SOTE, so we pulled back the mass of the library-chapel from Üllői Road, thereby creating the reception area of the university. Most of the functions were arranged in a rational building mass by closing off the Kinizsi Street site. The courtyard is covered with a glass roof above the first floor. The circulation areas were arranged around the courtyard in a single tract width, thus creating community spaces for the university on every level. The multi-story atrium is located at the core of the building. By lowering the level of the courtyard, the basement gains increased value. The building’s courtyard is filled with natural light; the glass covering is only a fine mesh where absolutely necessary. The maximum amount of space receives natural light and is naturally ventilated. Light flows down along the structure of the chapel, and air moves upward along the wooden coffers. We preserved the existing building’s main cornice along the street and extended it around the structure, placing a two-story volume set back on the roof.