03-03-2016

Lookout tower a shelter for hikers

Skyscraper,

contemporary,

Hungarian architecture studio Nartarchitects has turned an old stone lookout tower on the National Blue Trail into a shelter for three groups of hikers by adding a bare concrete extension on the top.



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Lookout tower a shelter for hikers Hungarian architecture studio Nartarchitects has turned an old stone lookout tower on the National Blue Trail into a shelter for three groups of hikers by adding a bare concrete extension on the top.



The 1128 km long National Blue Trail is the oldest hiking trail in Europe and in 1938 it was incorporated into the European long Distance Walking Route E4. It unites some of Hungary's most spectacular natural, historical and architectural sites. Castles, unique landscapes and historical lookout towers including the tower overlooking the almost 1000-m high Galyateto mountain range. Narchitects studio added a new extension on top and turned into a shelter for the outdoor enthusiasts hiking the trail, where they can relax and enjoy uninterrupted views of the landscape from above the treetops.





They added three levels of bare concrete to the original natural stone tower to create  3 shelters with porthole windows giving users great views of the scenery and where they can bunk for the night. This pale grey add-on reflects the same colour as the existing stone building and also includes a new mesh-enclosed steel staircase on the outside for users to access the architectural work by Natarchitects.





The intriguing open and equal engagement between the stone and the concrete sets up a distinct transition that is softened by the colour and by the external stairwell that creates a continuous visual connection from bottom to top, between old and new.



So Nartarchitects have designed an architectural project that stands out for its truly contemporary language, without falling into the trap of camouflaging it. 



The Galyateto “Lookout Tower” in Hungary is an attentive, intelligent work that takes advantage of the old to give it a new end use. With this project to recover, extend and reuse an existing tower, Nartarchitects have sent out a strong message for other work in highly valued historical and landscape contexts: a bold, practical design option to repurpose an old building and give it a new life is much better than a recovery “for purpose” as an end unto itself.

Christiane Bürklein

Architects: Nartarchitects, http://www.nartarchitects.hu/
Location: Mátraszentimre, Galyatető, 3234 Hungary
Architect in Charge: Csaba Kovacs, Aron Vass-Eysen
Project Year: 2016
Photographs Tamas Bujnovszky, Csaba Kovacs, Aron Vass-Eysen, Andras Ladocsi, Kata Garancsi, Mark Tassy

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