دنیای معماری       WORLD  ARCHITECTURE

CET = Central European Time by ONL (Oosterhuis_Lénárd). CET is also a synonym for a whale. The Mixed Use De-velopment CET at the Kozraktar between the Petofi and the Szabadsag Bridge is both. The CET concept refers to Budapest as an important metropolitan centre in the heart of Central Europe. The CET shape somehow refers to the smooth and friendly streamlined body of a whale. The new CET development has the potential to put Budapest once again on the map of the world. Name and shape of the CET symbolizes its cultural po¬tential and commercial pole position in one of the best preserved cities in the world.

Flow. The river Danube fascinates in Budapest for its fast flow on its trajectory down¬ward from the german Schwarzwald to the Black Sea. While the Danube both separates and unites Buda and Pest, the CET aims at re-establishing visual contact at this point between the two sides of the river. Newly planned inviting terraces will visually open the once hermetic Kozraktarak to the University and the Gellért Hotel. Hopefully a watertaxi system will be re-introduced to create direct connections for the people between the two sides as well. The body of the CET landmark building is developed along the flow of the Danube. Its architectural and urban expression evolves with the direction of the flow. The CET’s origin stems from the side of the city centre, grows in size between the two parallel existing buildings of the Kozraktar and then culminates at the south side, the side of the National Theatre and the new Cultural Centre, in a striking landmark build¬ing representing the state-of-the-art in architectural design and building technology, not unlike the old long ago removed Elevator Building from the 19th Century wherefrom the goods were distributed by rail to the 6 warehouses which originally occupied the banks of the Danube.

Transformation from Old to New. Three of the 6 warehouses are now remaining, and the brief requests to keep at least 60% of the volume intact, while rightfully demanding to take away the first 20m of the 2 warehouses closest to the city to create a small square to improve the connection with the city south of the beautifully renovated Csarnok. Tak¬ing this into consideration, the design team proposes to develop the Kozraktar landmark complex in a smooth transition from old to new. The first two warehouse buildings will be carefully renovated while adjusting the size of the vertical windows as to open up the hermetic nature of the buildings to the Danube, to the interior gallery and reach out to the adjoining district with the succesful Raday Utca nearby.

CET square. The CET proposal physically connects well with the surrounding city fabric. At the city side in the north a 25 x 50 m wide square is created which attracts all sorts of urban metropolitan activities. To enhance the activity level on this small but uniquely located square, with its splendid view on the Szabadsag bridge and the Gellért Moun¬tain, the design team proposes to unveil the northern ends of the warehouses. Exactly where the 20m sectors are cut off from the parallel buildings to give space for the square, transparant glass facades reveal the delicate interior construction of the old warehouses. The liveliness on the square will find its natural continuation into the businesses located at the heads of the warehouse and into the glass covered gallery space between the buildings.

Landmark. The explicit purpose of the new CET development is to create a timeless new landmark structure for Budapest at this prestigious site. The CET landmark complex consists of the 2 renovated warehouses, the glass roof inbetween them transforming into the soft looking body of the glass whale. It will be experienced as a landmark structure both from the inside as well from the outside. From the outside the curved surfaces in combination with the sharp folds, starting where the glass volume leaves the 18m wide space inbetween the warehouses and fading out into the convex curved surface of the sides of the main body.

Non Standard Architecture. The design team has chosen the language of Non-Stand¬ard Architecture to express the ambition to be a landmark for our era. Non-Standard Architecture is based on the modern production process of mass-customization where there is no longer a need for repetition of exactly similar elements. In the CET all pieces of steel and glass are unique in size and shape, and yet this is economically viable thanks to the advanced computer-driven file-to-factory production process as developed by the architect, and proven in practice in several award-winning projects. The 3d model of the architect is directly communicated with the CNC [computer numerical control] pro¬duction machines. The advantages of a truly Non-Standard Architecture are huge. It creates a new freedom of expression for the architect and the richness of its expression combined with the evident logic of mass-customization has proven itself to appeal to a large public.

Mixed Use Development. The CET is a small-scale but mature Mixed Use Develop¬ment. It houses a variety of usage ranging from small boutiques and bars to larger shops and restaurants. A cruxial programmatic content of the CET is the 1500m2 CET Event Space on the 2nd floor of the glass body. The aim of the CET is to offer a 24 hour activity program for the city of Budapest. It will become a natural attraction point for young and old, it offers a mix of experimental and traditional culture, of small scale souk-style shops, high quality brand shops and bookstores, designer bars and themed restaurants, while the big event space is able to accomodate large crowds. The Mixed Use Development concept guarantees a lively use of the complex and promises to become an destination for both tourists and inhabitants of Budapest.

CET Gallery. The glass roof of the CET gallery spans between the parallel buildings. The roof transforms from a traditional section in the style of the 19th century architecture into the three-dimensional roofstructure which transforms 80m furtheron into the large stylized glass bulb. Under the glass roof of the CET Gallery a zig-zagging system of connecting bridges and escalators stitch the two sides and the three commercial floors to each other.

CET Event Space. Escalators are leading the public up to the large CET Event Space and the lobby at the extreme south corner of the building. The interior architecture of the event sapce is conceived as a continuous red carpet which forms the floor, curves up to form the wall at the north end, continues its trajectory to form the acoustic ceiling above the 200m2 stage, comes down to become the restaurant and comes more down to form the lobby space, splits and descends to be the flat floor theatre of the event space.

CET Plaza. The CET body rests on the spacious CET Plaza, which forms the roof of the parking garage below. The CET Plaza is 1m raised in relation to the adjacent Nehru Park and the 6m wide public walkway and bicycle path along the Danube. From the CET Plaza the public has a splendid view over the Danube enjoying both the view on the Petofi and the Szabadsag Bridge, as well as offering an unobstructed view on the Gellert Hotel and Gellert Mountain.

CET tea house. At the very south-east corner of the whole CET development a 20m long sector of the third warehouse is preserved and renovated. The brick volume will be radically wrapped in a maximum transparant glass facade, turning the warehouse into an invitingly open Wintergarten teahouse, full of exotic plants while serving high tea, coffee and pastries.

CET clockwork. At the other extreme corner of the CET Paza at the south-west side the design team proposes an art work symbolising the theme of CET. A giant atomic clock¬work indicates the exact Central European Time mounted on a solitair transparant glass wall. The CET clock takes on the shape of the contour of the fourth warehouse which once completed the series of warehouses.

CET Duna Terrace. The CET Duna Terrace strip will become probably one of the most popular places in early 21st century Budapest. Sitting in front of the renovated ware¬houses on the 1m elevated terraces, overlooking the Danube, watching the lively boat traffic [and watertaxi’s] from very near, at the foot of the iconic new landmark structure feeling its imposing presence, and thus making the clientele of the restaurants and bars feel at home in the 21st century, the CET Duna Terrace strip is bound to become a hot spot in the southern edge of the Budapest city centre.

CET parking. The CET complex of Mixed Use Development is functionally supported by a 250 places parking garages, built on no more then two underground levels [the roof being raised 1m to form the CET Plaza] to avoid excessive foundation costs due to the general water level of the Danube. Cars enter the parking garage driving through the basement of the teahouse above.
Site: Kozraktar, Budapest

Client: Porto Investment Hungary Kft., Budapest

Partners :
MTM Statika  – Lead structural engineering
SMG-SiSu – MEP engineering

Gross Floor Area: 18500 m2

Parking garage: 7500 m2

Design supervision: ONL (Oosterhuis_Lénárd), Kas Oosterhuis, Ilona Lénárd,

Project architect: Marthijn Pool

Design team: Kas Oosterhuis, Ilona Lénárd, Gijs Joosen, Owen Slootweg, Bas Wijnbeld, Anna Nagy,  Bujdosó Attila, Márku Judit, Romvári Péter, Tom Krzempek, Rafael Seemann, Paulina Gurak, Michael Gorczynski, Lidia Badarnah, Jan Gasparik, Petr Vokal.