Glass Wall Graphics – Office Renovation 1/3

We launched an internal competition for our architect colleagues, focusing on one of the wall surfaces in our renewed office. The location is the 3rd floor of a downtown residential building at Felső Erdősor Street 3, built in 1892. The goal of the office renovation and extension is to create a cohesive, comfortable working environment for our architect and building engineering colleagues, now almost occupying the entire floor. This competition centers on the café area, which serves as a transition space between the dining area and the workspaces. It’s a cozy recreational spot where colleagues meet and chat.

The task in the competition was to design the image on the glass panel behind the coffee counter. The image should highlight the building’s valuable architectural details, while also acknowledging the fact that our office has been a part of the building’s history for ten years. Its primary function is to create atmosphere, not distract too much, while subtly reflecting our presence. We received exciting, inspiring, and humorous responses to the competition, and we are organizing an exhibition of the works in the office’s lounge-dining area. The jury shortlisted four submissions, which we are showcasing here.

 

Texture – Created by Nguyen Anh Quan

This collage presents various details from the building, distorted almost beyond recognition, such as the floor tiles in the stairwell, the ivy-covered green courtyard, patches of peeling plaster on the walls, the pattern of the iron railing on the walkway, and the wavy wall cladding in the new office areas. The design can also be interpreted as a monochrome contemporary graphic.

Staircase – Created by Zsolt Belányi

The photograph captures the building’s servant staircase. The perspective lines of the staircase add depth to the image. The theme also refers to the fact that often behind the prominent, grand, and ornate elements, there are exciting details hidden in the background.

From the jury’s favorite, titled “Tatuin” – Created by Réka Vass

In the fictional universe of Star Wars, Tatooine is a desert planet located on the outer rim. For us, “Tatuin” refers to the BORD HVAC engineering office, whose entrance is located separately from the architect office, at the far end of the circular corridor. During the multiple-phase renovation over the past year, many of us temporarily worked in Tatuin. After the renovation, however, the spaces will be unified, and Tatuin will remain only as a nostalgic memory. The photo was taken from the circular corridor, over the railing, subtly hinting at the opposite inner courtyard façade. We are curious about the neighbor, about each other. This curiosity leads to action and renewal. The composition’s multiple layers and its diverse message make the image truly exciting, while its black-and-white appearance modestly blends into the background. After much deliberation, the jury ultimately chose this submission as the project to be realized.

AI Facade Transformations – Created by Fruzsina Damásdi

This design highlights the façade as the visible face of the building, the most valuable and characteristic feature. The creator used the Midjourney program to rethink and generate a new face for the Felső Erdősor 3 building based on specific instructions. The surreal images often feature our studio’s mascot, the Giraffe.