The Corvin Project is a large-scale, 21st-century property development transforming an entire district within a traditionally built-up area of Budapest affected by social decline. Designed by ZDA, Block 125 accommodates both office and residential functions. Through its central square and interconnected communal spaces, the development introduces the atmosphere of traditional urban public spaces into a heterogeneous cityscape.

Block 125 is one of the most complex sites within the Corvin Promenade development. The urban fabric combines buildings of one to four storeys, typical of the first half of the 20th century, with 17-storey and other high-rise prefabricated residential buildings constructed during the 1960s and 1970s. The principal design challenge was to establish an appropriate scale within this highly diverse context.

In 2006, ZDA’s proposal for the Corvin Knowledge Park, developed for one of the project’s blocks as part of an invited competition, was awarded first prize. In 2014, as a continuation of this work, the practice designed a block combining office and residential functions, using the form of the development to reinterpret the traditional urban public realm for the 21st century.

Unlike the generously scaled public spaces elsewhere along Corvin Promenade, Block 125 evokes a more intimate, small-town scale. Its communal spaces form a loosely interconnected sequence centred on a main square that brings together the principal pedestrian routes and features a contemporary sculptural composition.

Particular attention was given to the office buildings, which were analysed from both architectural and functional perspectives. Following the development of several massing alternatives, the office buildings were positioned as an “asymmetrical gateway”, guiding the theatrical Grand Promenade into a more informal sequence of urban spaces. Alongside the dynamic office buildings with their curved façades, compact residential towers were introduced. The spaces between these contrasting volumes form a series of atmospheric, interconnected public areas throughout the district.

In 2010, Corvin Promenade was named Europe’s Best Mixed-Use Development at the International Property Awards. In 2014, it also received the Urban Land Institute’s Global Award for Excellence, often referred to as the “Oscar” of real-estate development. The building achieved a BREEAM Very Good rating, an internationally recognised benchmark for environmental performance.