Shop, Szerencs

Even a hundred years ago, economic development was most easily manifested in the form of additional storeys added to existing commercial buildings, as can be seen in some of the multi-storey buildings on Rákóczi út. Expanding commercial or residential functions upwards remains a viable option today, as demonstrated by the latest exciting building conversion: the engineering specialist shop on the corner of Bástya Street has had an upper floor added to house its showroom…

It used to be a single-storey building housing a bakery and a shop, and has been converted to its current use over the last few years. The interesting angles and intersections of the main road and the smaller side streets create a unique setting for this corner plot: it is clearly visible to those arriving from both Miskolc and Sárospatak, whilst also serving as the defining starting point for the small-town streetscape leading towards the Castle...

The ‘U’-shaped building is covered by a simple gable roof, which ends in a gable at the corner and is crowned by a glazed corner veranda (corner window). It is these two features that draw the observer’s attention to the building. The row of windows on the upper storey is separated from the ground floor by a continuous sloping cornice, interrupted only by the projecting section of the building that emphasises the entrance. The materials used (traditional roof tiles, render, timber), the rhythm of the windows, the façade divided by the cornice, and the well-placed projections.

Ferenc Salamin

(Szerencsi Hírek, 2024, excerpts)