MOL CAMPUS: A WALK IN THE PARK

With a clear focus on bringing natural landscapes within the built environment, Foster + Partners designs for the sustainability-minded Budapest headquarters of Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Group will be an environmentally-progressive commercial hub.

Known as MOL Campus, the plans so far centre around facilitating the development Budapest’s tallest building, amid a park-like setting. The building will be a podium-and-tower structure. A glassy podium sweeps along a series of outdoor spaces and walkways, smoothly turning upward at one end into a 28-story tower.

To encourage relaxation and collaboration, greenery will travel through the heart of the building, from the central atrium on the ground floor to a series of sky gardens and a rooftop public garden. Along with allowing for plenty of natural light, the designers believe these green spaces will act as a social catalyst throughout the building, encouraging collaboration, relaxation and inspiration by bringing nature closer to the workplace.

“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 continues. “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.”

Managing the dynamic needs of employees and indoor vegetation will require high-tech climate and light control systems, creating the optimal workspace while maintaining energy efficiency and sustainability; one of the project’s core concepts.

The building will also utilise low and zero carbon energy sources, such as photovoltaics. In addition, rainwater harvesting and storage facilities will serve the irrigation needs of the interior vegetation. All of these measures to ensure a sustainable, green workplace link in with the designers desire to foster a connection between the urban and natural experience.

“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,” explain the architects. “All occupants have a direct connection to the external environment providing fresh air, daylight and views.”

Facilitating pedestrian and cycle commuting, the space will include state-of-the-art cycling and storage facilities, while the plans demonstrate several activation sites for the surrounding parklands, such a bridges and walkways.

Foster + Partners summarises their views on the design of MOL Campus, calling the project "a vision for the workplace of the future…".