design 1992, realisation 1993-1994
client: ING Real Estate International, The Hague and Nationale Nederlanden Real Estate Hungary Ltd., Budapest
gross floor area: 7.830 m2
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The offices for ING Bank and insurance company Nationale Nederlanden are located on Andrássy Street in the centre of Budapest. The eclectic Neo-Renaissance building of 1882 has been painstakingly restored and extended with persuasive contemporary elements making it one of the first buildings to juxtapose an uncompromising modernism with intuitive organic shapes to achieve what might be called ‘Modern Baroque’.
An organically shaped volume housing a conference room and nicknamed the ‘Whale’ hovers over the courtyard, penetrating the new fully transparent climate roof. Whilst never fully visible from anywhere in the original building, the Whale’s presence is evident throughout. Though unique, the existing building is representative of many high quality courtyard buildings that have survived the remarkable changes undergone by the city of Budapest. The completed project can be seen as an optimistic sign of a city that is open to innovation and revitalisation, whilst respecting its historic fabric. Aware of its position as a prominent business building in modern Budapest, it offers solace by creating an architecture that combines intelligence with emotional sensitivity.
