Szervita Square: A Reflection of the Past Meeting the Future
By Chad Losanta
DVM Group builds a glass building as a sensible reaction to its surroundings.
Built amidst Art Deco and Baroque structures, Szervita Square stands as a lone glass structure that reflects the city’s cultural past to its modern-day present. Located in Budapest, Hungary, the edifice stands out as a “sensible reaction” to its surroundings, merging characteristics of industrial architecture with art deco details. The building functions as a public space as well as a commercial establishment, bringing people and cultures together to one functional yet sustainable infrastructure.
Built by the DVM Group, the concept for this infrastructure was to be a soft, wavy glass sculpture instead of just being a concrete building so it could reflect its neighboring historical buildings. “We think that the light is the soul of the building so we designed a shell, which lets the light into the spaces and brings light to its surroundings.” In addition to the reflective exterior and inner atrium, they managed to create a safe, bright inner courtyard which provides extra light to middle zones.
Technological innovations made it easy for the DVM Group to design the façade of the structure. Having to build on such a small space, using prefabricated elements made it possible to finish the outer shell in just four months. Modern technology made it possible to parallelly build the outer shell with the interior installations.
Designed using BIM software from Graphisoft like Archicad and BIMx, the planning and construction of the Szervita Square was made easy. The softwares used created manageable platforms to create 3D models for easy visualization for developers. Contributing to its sustainability, BIM models helped the DVM Group prevent unexpected issues occurring onsite. In a Fire Dynamic Simulation, the DVM Group was able to convince its strict fire authorities of the safety and integrity of its structure, adding to its sustainability. “If we can avoid such a problem, we can spare time, work, materials and money,” they explained.
Though built with the latest technology to design and construct, the Szervita Square remains a reflection of its city’s rich history by reflecting the city’s tangible heritage. These sustainable yet user-friendly smart buildings were made possible because of the easy collaboration of different professionals through innovative software provided by Graphisoft.
To learn more about the Szervita Square, The DVM Group, or Graphisoft, be sure to visit their websites.
Photos by: Ed Simon
Published: 6 September, 2022 (BluPrint)