Refurbishment is an inevitable tool of sustainability which also provides the continuity of the existing building stock. In my Diploma Project the main goal was proving the raison d’ être of reusing buildings in my home country, since it is not a common method in architecture there.
Finding the buildings was really easy, however having a real function was a gift of Fortune. The plans were made in cooperation with a local ceramic artist and manufactory owner (whose works can be seen on the 1st. panel).
The existing buildings were built in the 1950’s and were used as some additional buildings of a uranium mine. Keeping their eye-catching ‘naked’ brick façade was a basic element of concept.
The integrated elements are designed as an implant to fulfil the needs of the functions, making a coherent overall form of the existing and the added parts. Despite of using fine-surfaced black concrete cladding on this ‘implant’, it makes a contrast between the old and new to increase the tension, the whole picture could stay balanced.
Covered-opened areas are key parts of connecting functions. All of them have multiple possible usage: open air workshop areas, lounge places and also scene of communication between visitors with different aims.
In interiors mostly white and greys were used, however some elements have been highlighted with vivid colours. These boxes are organising the inner spaces all through the buildings. Each colour determined by the function of the space it appears in.
