The City An important task for the future of Hungarian cities is to formulate their role in the region. For this they must define themselves and their points of view. From Esztergoms’s viewpoint, an important step was taken in the establishment of the Ister-Granu Euro-Region and the introduction of the Gyarapodás Program with regards to its decision to strengthen the importance of the university town in the northern regions. Also, due to the significant cultural and spiritual past of Esztergom, the observant role of the city center is also striving. The next area for expansion will be the Basillica and its opposing area, and where in the near future a high school and a city library will be built. The assigned area is the cultural centre of the city, where several of Hungary’s largest churches reside. The integration of the educational function into this environment could generate a varied and exciting cultural centre, what is more the different approaches from each of the institutions create this dynamic connection. The Site The cities cultural centre is such an area that keeps memories, where in honour of the past roles of spirituality and culture, a worthy square was planned – but only partially completed. The purpose of the design was to create a closed cultural zone within the city district. In the semi-circle, the “closed” area experience separates the space, though simultaneously adds representative functions to the ramp of the Basilica and its area. Meanwhile the space is halfway built; a semi circle closing would strengthen its intentions through the buildings and the row houses, which do not orient with the majority in the plan. Prebend buildings align both sides. The functions of the immediate area of the Basilica would lose their previuos role. From several viewpoints, the space itself is a varied one, emitting a feeling of fragmentation, much like the square, given fundamental significance by architectural concepts. The Concept The old semi circle closing area separated surrounging city area from the cultural area, becoming a space for important celebrations, rather than an elemental part in the everyday lives of city residents. However, the educational functions of the new building would invite its use daily. The two sides of Prebend buildings axially align with the Basilica, now opening up to urban functions through the building of the library and secondary school. The new functions for the area do not take on this role that eliminates the city residents from this important space. The residents of city can find paths, open spaces, gates, and gardens between the new building and its separated blocks – the small paths creating the feeling of walking through ones own neighbourhood. Simultaneously, in wake of the past, the plan is searching for the value in the idea of the semi-circle: the idea of a closed space is only humane if it does not impede, but rather enhances. In the earlier plans, the monumental representative impact of the building could only be felt from the square – the same building from the viewpoint of the city was no longer at a human scale. The educational functions need a response to human scale, compared to the spiritual functions that desire a Basilica-like space. In the plans, we retained the sweep and lilt of the arc in the semi circle, but the enormous Prebend blocks were made to a smaller scale, but the new blocks we created still resemble the missing parts overall. The masses behind eachother have pieces that arc upwards, acting as a continuation of the entry ramp top the Basilica, and completing the squares frame. The closed off feeling is noticed most by the building mass from the exterior of the arc. The new area in the plan resembles a small town in terms of the residential zones defining the spaces, fittingly they will slowly be built into the plan, curves passing from one peice through to another and between them significant spaces will be revealed. In terms of cultural zones, we really wanted to mould the Basilicas private space, and create architecturally interesting elevations using curves for the Prebend residence. The Central Axis The development of the area in front of the Basillica is still citing the earlier concept; however the ramp does not run further, but rather stops infront of the Balassa School. For the continuity of Road 11, coming down Visegrad, suitable pretenses were created by the city – the building separates this invisible middle line, and it chooses not to deal with the individuals wishing to enter, rather is physically and visually acts as an obstacle. We chose to keep the mass of the old school as it strengthened the orientaton of the central axis. Our earlier plans engaged with the historical thread through more points of view. Road 11, from Visegrad, has an unwinding pedestrian path, eventually leading to a garden that directs the pedestrians inside where the main entrance of the school, along the central-axis, guides them. The earlier ornate entrance concepts were based on the fact that they were situated in transparent area, one that allowed the public to maintain a visual connection (along the axis) with the Basilica, and for certain celebratory events could also be used by the public as a pathway. The pathway between the school and the library leads us to the central axis, but with their building mass visually leads us back to the beginning: the ramp up to the Basilica. The Functioning Stucture of the School We enlarged the original footprint of the building by the allowable amount. As desired, the schools exterior cresecent building mass at the first arc is low, which will be located in larger areas and within those areas, they will present opportunities for lively student life in the open spaces between the building parts. Between the two main masses of the school, we have created spacious and light areas that form a direct connect from the north and south to open spaces. In order to maintain continuity with the axis of Basilica, the main entrance of the school is located in the east, directly connecting with the city, while in the west a smaller mass is angled toward the Basilica. In this space, the slope of the ramp is continued, and as a result it created a basement building with specialized classrooms and computer labs, each daylit as much as the classrooms above. In the basements half level, the ramp of the second building mass runs upward; public classrooms and language labs can be found here, along with their main entrances. A wider ramp leads to the classrooms, then through airy hallways that lead to the courtyard and the building straight ahead. In this building, the cultural functions receive room: besides the “axis”, one can see the Basilica gallery, towards the south a small shop, and the teacher offices and their connecting classrooms. To create a stronger connection, a section will be built beside the gallery that will house the library. Above the street anintertemporal bridge will be built, which a studio and school library will occupy, and perhaps a gallery. peter kis, bea molnar, aniko varga, zsuzsanna gal 2005