Foster + Partners has revealed design plans for a sustainable new HQ of oil and gas company MOL Group, located south of Budapest, Hungary. Also called the MOL Campus, the new headquarters is designed to be environmentally oriented. The building, which will be constructed within a park-resembling site, is expected to be the highest building in the Hungarian capital.
Courtesy of Foster + Partners
“This is a landmark project for several reasons, not only for MOL but also for Budapest,” commented Nigel Dancey, Head of Foster + Partners Studio. “It presents a unique challenge to ensure that the building meets the functional needs of the organization, follows the highest standards of sustainability, and is respectful of its historic surroundings.”
The building represents an evolved form of the custom podium/tower typology. The glass podium extends throughout the exterior spaces and pathways, rising up at one side to form a tall tower. Daylight and greenery are prominent features of the 28-storey-high building. There will, also, be a roof garden available to the public on top of the tower. Systems controlling the light and the climate will augment the sustainability of the edifice.
Courtesy of Foster + Partners
“As we see the nature of the workplace changing to a more collaborative vision, we have combined two buildings – a tower and a podium – into a singular form, bound by nature,” Dancey declared. “As the tower and the podium start to become one element, there is a sense of connectivity throughout the office spaces, with garden spaces linking each of the floors together.”
Courtesy of Foster + Partners
“The MOL Campus seeks to preserve live-work relationships as part of the urban experience, where people are able to walk or cycle to work,” the architects said. “All occupants have a direct connection to the external environment providing fresh air, daylight, and views, and the building utilizes low and zero-carbon energy sources, such as photovoltaics, also featuring rainwater harvesting and storage facilities.“
