Educational Building, Kecskemét CAMPUS

Modern technology has transformed many walks of life in recent decades, including education, where institutional buildings strive to keep pace with the changes. A prime example of this is the new building complex of the Faculty of Economics and Business of the John von Neumann University in Kecskemét. The Educational Building was the first to be built and opened for use by students and teachers on the Kecskemét Campus.

The aim was to create an institution whose operation and functions together represent a forward-looking trend. The key feature of this is the lecture theatre with stage technology, which supports the optimal use of space: the 500-seat theatre can be converted into three halls for 300, 120 and 80 people by rotating two circular floor areas with tiered seating.

The “stock exchange egg” suspended by wire ropes in the aula is the building’s unique feature in terms of function and architecture: a space within a space. The 13-metre-high steel object weighing almost 88 tons houses a tablet room and a stock exchange room. Hanging three metres above the aula level, its form metaphorically suggests the birth of knowledge.

The building’s innovativeness is also evident in its eco-consciousness: a number of renewable energy source based systems were used for energy supply, thermal insulation, heating and cooling, and water use.

One goal of the future development is to create a community-forming centre for the city where local citizens, too, can relax and use the services of the campus. These include the library, exhibition space, restaurants, concert and theatre halls, and the training kitchen, where master chefs teach the art of cuisine – all surrounded by a leafy public park.

In Kecskemét, an innovative, complex campus is being created that goes beyond traditional university functions and is a forward-looking development in the city’s evolution.