PILGRIMAGE CENTRE, MÁRIAPÓCS

The design of the buildings in Máriapócs began in 2012 with the development concept for the main square in front of the Basilica and its surroundings. The architectural aspects of the development plan were as follows:

-   The creation of a small-town square and the associated building facades, as viewed from the square, the park areas and Monostor Street.

-   An urban design for new buildings, facing the square.
-   A ‘people-friendly’ design for new buildings: the creation of covered spaces and arcades featuring shops, services and restaurant terraces. The buildings should face the square and the church.
-   When developing the western side of the square (near the pilgrims’ hostel), a taller building element should be constructed to break up the mass of the long building and give structure to the square’s perimeter.

-   Use of the new road surface to provide parking spaces and bus bays (Monostor Street).
-   An interconnected system of parks and promenades forming a unified network of the various park areas.

The Pilgrimage Centre building was created by converting and extending a typical nursery school dating from the 1960s. Its purpose was to cater for large numbers of pilgrims: shops, a shop selling religious artefacts, a café and an events hall were created, whilst guest rooms were provided on the upper floor. The square in front of the building was designed for events and to form part of the procession route leading to the wooden chapel; on weekdays, it can also be used as a car park. The covered market area next to the street, which was intended for temporary stallholders, was not completed.