The well-known architectural firm Foster & Partners published its design for the new headquarter for the oil and gas company MOL Group – called MOL Campus. According to the UK-based designer, this 120-meter tower is planned to be the highest Green Building in the Hungarian capital and a vision for a future workplace. The new 83,000 sqm office construction will offer workplaces for 2500 employees from 2021 onwards.
MOL Campus Aiming For LEED and BREEAM Qualifications
Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners said: “This is a landmark project for several reasons, not only for MOL but also for Budapest. 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.”
Linked with several skygardens within the tower, a green ribbon of plants and trees runs from the ground-based central atrium to the top-based public garden. The use of rainwater harvesting and storage facilities and photovoltaic plants underline the green character of MOL Campus.
The curvy glass facade of the 28-storey tower rises up elegantly and affords visitors and employees a generous view plus the use daylight. State of the art technology ensures the control of light levels and temperatures. Even breathing fresh air from outside is possible with no detours.
“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. 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” added Dancey.
According to MOL Group, the building project is seeking LEED and BREEAM certifications. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is one of the world’s most widespread rating systems for environmentally friendly buildings and developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is assessing and certifying the sustainability of buildings since 1990. It is the counterpart to LEED launched in the UK with the aim to reduce negative effects of buildings on the environment.
Budapest, Hungary
Images: Foster & Partners
