A
rchitecture in Hungary is, like many other
countries in Eastern Europe, executed by
architects primarily from the country. After the
breakdown of the Eastern Bloc a new local
architecture community emerged in Hungary
that has been responsible for a number of public and
private buildings that showed new directions in modern
design. One of these practices is Koller Studio from Pécs,
Hungary whose history is closely tied to these political
developments. The firm led by Jozef Koller was created
from the architectural staff of PÉCSITERV, the government
planning and design agency for the South Transdanubia
region where the firm has been active. The practice has
for the past 20 years focused on work in this southwestern
corner of Hungary centered on the cities of Pécs, Kaposvár
and Szekszárd in addition to projects in the capital
Budapest. The focus in local architecture can be seen in
the firm’s use of regional techniques in stone, brick and
timber adapted into a resolutely modern architecture
emphasizing space and light.
A project that reflects the firm’s approach is the Law
Court Extension to the 1970s communist era courthouse
in Pécs. Koller’s design began as a limited commission to
modernize the crumbling and dated façades of the court
office tower but was transformed into a project that saw
the realization of two new court rooms on what was a
leaky outdoor terrace.
With a population of 156,000, Pécs is the fifth largest
city in Hungary in an area