Elementary school at Tolcsva

The building, housing the upper years of the local primary school, makes a calm and dignified architectural stance, with structural solutions and roof forms rooted in tradition, reflecting the scale and character of the town’s listed buildings. It asserts its presence as a public institution without resorting to ‘loud’ or attention-seeking architectural gestures, making its function clearly readable.

The architect’s task was to design an entirely new building on seven adjoining plots, including a large inner area, which had been purchased and consolidated by the local government.

To find an unobtrusive solution for the school building – of substantial mass compared to the surrounding houses –, he placed it on the lower-lying part of the inner area, ensuring it does not dominate the neighbouring buildings, while establishing a dialogue with Rákóczi Castle and the Roman Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary standing opposite. The separation of functions further breaks up the building mass: through subtle breaks and shifts, the gymnasium and changing room block form a visually pleasant composition with the classroom and staffroom wings, while creating an inner courtyard together with a connecting wing.

The layout reveals an originally larger-scale concept, and the completed building readily accommodates future expansion – by covering the courtyard and extending the classroom wings in phase II of the project – playfully echoing the charming irregularities of the naturally evolving built heritage.

Indeed, the rigid geometric approach would have felt alien not only to this site but also to the Tokaj-Hegyalja region.

The playful roof structure of the central connecting volume, set between the two more formally composed lateral wings, helps to ease the overall composition, while its substantial columns lend emphasis to the main entrance. 

The use of the site is varied and inventive, taking full advantage of having access from two streets.

Vehicles can also enter from the quieter lower street and, after a gentle ascent, reach the main entrance and the outdoor sports grounds.

On the upper street, the fence was set back to expand the public space – the place of arrival – at pavement level, while, by exploiting the natural inclination of the upper part of the plot, a community space was created, suitable to accommodate not only school functions but also local festivities and outdoor performances.

The steps flanking the grandstand and leading to the schoolyard begin with distinctive yet humble pavilions, paying respect to the institution and signalling the presence of the communal space nestled within the block, as seen from the main road passing through Tolcsva.

The entire development reflects a careful sense of economy, preserving what is essential while avoiding excess.

In contemporary terms, the design is ‘cost-effective’ yet is far from soulless.

Excerpts from a text by László Kuli, Országépítő, 2024/3.