MALOMTÓ

Budapest, Hungary

2022

The project centers around revitalizing a site in Budapest's 2nd district, featuring an abandoned Turkish bath and non-operational café. The location includes a branch of the János Molnár cave system with the protected Malomto lake, home to the Hungarian lotus flower. Noteworthy is the historic bathing area with Hungary’s first reinforced concrete structure.

Preservation efforts have saved the iconic section, now used by divers exploring the caves. The project's focus is on advancing professional diving, aiming to establish comprehensive facilities for administrative, organizational, and technical aspects. A strategic decision involves replacing the café with an international hostel due to the area's appeal to both locals and global diving enthusiasts. The redevelopment plan emphasizes faithfully recreating the original architectural elements, providing direct access to the caves. 

The detailed project, specifically designed for a hotel block, envisions a sophisticated hostel with a first-floor café, aligning with the project's commitment to professionalism and international engagement.

The ground floor incorporates the building's technical and sanitary facilities, recessed 4 meters into the hill to leverage natural insulation and minimize the environmental footprint. This design choice expands the adjacent café area, creating a spacious, light-filled communal space.

This hostel integrates seamlessly into its hillside setting, representing a harmonious blend of modern architecture and natural landscape. Located on the first floor, the hostel rooms offer direct access to a terrace with expansive views over the adjacent hill park, enhancing both privacy and the guest experience. A key architectural feature is the perimeter truss that follows the curvature of the building’s cantilever and rests on a load-bearing wall, ensuring structural integrity and adding an aesthetic element to the south facade.

To ensure structural integrity and address the challenges of its hillside location, several key features have been incorporated:

• A load-bearing firewall on the north side protects against potential hazards from the neighboring building.

• An L-shaped retaining wall on the east side supports the hillside terrain.

• The first floor features a monolithic RC Vierendeel truss, specifically designed to support the cantilevered sections, adding both functional support and an aesthetic dimension to the structure.