BUDAPEST, MARGARET ISLAND, DEER PARK 2002
Exploring the site, we had to realize that the spaces should be defined primarily by the scale and relationship of the existing trees, and not the intended buildings.
To create harmony with the environment - and for practical reasons as well - the buildings imitate wood-piles: the outer casing of the layered-mounted wall structures is made of log slices, allowing sufficient airflow to meet ventilation requirements. The entrance building is tilted slightly outwards, signifying its own importance with this uncommon gesture. The ensemble is characterized by its ambiance and its structural-functional nature: architecture - in the traditional sense - dissolves and disappears. It is no way a random composition: the accurate wood-piles are a result of a rather precise and thoughtful attitude of a practical mind. The sense of appropriateness emanating from the small wooden buildings is reinforced by the precise and fine detail solutions of the wooden structure.
Péter Kis, Gábor Kruppa, Péter Nyitrai
Margaret Island (Margitsziget), known as “Rabbits’ Island” until the 14th century, used to be a game park and a hunting ground for nobility from the early Middle Ages. The animal park of the island - inhabited by small game, Hungarian forest and domestic animals, and some exotic bird species - has been existing since the 1950s. By the 1990s, the condition of the area was so degraded that a complete renewal was necessary. As part of this process, our studio prepared the plans for new buildings to provide shelter for the animals of the Park. The project was finally realized in 2002, when the capital entrusted the operation of the Park to the Budapest Zoological and Botanical Garden. In 2002, the complex was nominated for Piranesi Award.
We prepared a model and a plan for the new buildings.
