What does it mean to reinterpret context and locality within architectures, not merely as an afterthought, but as a gospel to abide by? Across varying typologies and geographies, with unique constraints or blessings, the site itself presents and affects all. Responding to it by respecting it through the built fabric, is an informed approach, one that begets unique and diverse architectural narratives, many of which end up following existing building zeitgeists, or unveil new ones.

With their rather pronounced contextual design of the BudaPrés Cider factory in Hungary, BORD Architectural Studio breaks conventions by turning the familiar geometric profile of gable roofs into a repeated architectural motif, apart from playing on the unique geometry of the Scottish plaid. Dressed in a sharp array of rhombus-shaped volumes, the project speaks to a dedicated facility of apple-matured cider (a novelty in Hungary), despite its production being a centuries-old tradition in Europe. The angular contemporary architecture aims to encapsulate “the essence of autumn, the golden rays of the sun, [and] the warm colours and scents of leaves and fruits. Our architectural vision is deeply inspired by nature and intends to capture this kind of atmosphere,” explains the Budapest-based firm.

The 910 sqm contextual architecture peeks theatrically from the verdant rolling hills of Etyek, more commonly referred to as the ‘vineyard of Buda.’ The site, covering approximately one hectare of area, is conveniently positioned on the Öreghegy (‘old hill’), where numerous other renowned wineries thrive. Here, instead of grapevines, rows and rows of apple trees flourish in abundance. The clients, a father and son, equally passionate wine enthusiasts, ventured to establish an apple orchard and allied cider production facility here, to extend their family business. As per the Hungarian firm, they carefully craft a low-alcohol beverage by fermenting apple juice, emphasising the natural, genuine flavour of apples over the dominant flavour of sugar.

Péter Bordás, CEO of BORD Architectural Studio, and head architect for BudaPrés Cider, explains to STIR, “This town is home to numerous renowned wineries. However, in the BudaPrés estate, they quite curiously produce cider instead of wine. So, the facility's name comes from the location: the Budai Hills, and its distinctive function in the region… [The clients] approached our studio with the task of designing a youthful, modern processing facility that harmonises with the emerging, elegant, and sophisticated character of Hungarian apple cider.”

“Their goal was to create a spacious processing facility equipped with all necessities for the production of this elegant and sophisticated Hungarian apple cider. The cycle of nature reaches its fullness in autumn with the ripening of fruits. Rich colours, aromas, and textures surround us, the warmth of a tartan plaid wool sweater, the communal experience of harvest under the open sky—all these saturate the essence of cider. In the architectural concept, inspired by the unique geometry of Scottish plaid, the traditional high-pitched roof form transforms, giving rise to a new spatial appearance,” the Hungarian firm relays.

“In our studio, we always begin the design process with a careful analysis of the location, the function, and the possibilities. Our concepts strive to provide creative solutions to both broader urban textures and immediate site-specific challenges. Our projects are often built around a narrative. This story inspires the architectural concept, serving as a guiding thread throughout our work and imbuing our buildings with personality. Our goal is to create unique places where it feels good to be, environments that soothe, energise, and inspire creativity. We believe that one of the most important roles of architecture is its community-building function. Therefore, it is important that the places we design foster human connections, initiate dialogues, and contribute to developing a society that accepts and supports one another,” Bordás continues.

The defining factor of the geometric design was BORD’s play on the traditional, ubiquitous 45-degree gable roof geometry, which was mirrored horizontally to ascertain the fundamental unit of the building mass, which provided an opportunity to fit itself seamlessly within the existing built environment in terms of scale. This basic unit was then shifted both horizontally and vertically and arranged in sequence to form the final one. The resultant reinforced concrete structure enables and ensures uninterrupted visual pathways, owing to the lack of ceilings and walls, apart from presenting ever-shifting vantage points.

“It was situated parallel to the slope axis on the north-eastern part of the sloped plot, partially sunk into the ground. The rhombus-shaped ‘tunnels’ at both ends are enclosed with glass walls, thus establishing a connection with the apple trees in the garden and the surrounding landscape,” they elaborate.

The sight of small, high-roofed wine press houses among the vineyards has long defined the image of the Etyek landscape, according to the lead architect. “Local building regulations also encourage the preservation of these traditions: in the Öreghegy area, only the construction of small-scale, traditional high-roofed houses is permitted. However, these constraints inspire the architectural concept. In this case, the traditional roof shape geometry was given, and by reflecting and arranging it, we tried to create an exciting mass. So how did the final form come about? Although we are proud of the flavourful Hungarian apple varieties, the tradition of cider-making has not yet spread in Hungary. Therefore, the inspiration for us was the communal experience of the harvest, the kaleidoscope of colours, the aromas and textures, and the warmth of a tartan-patterned wool sweater in the cool autumn weather. So, a kind of geometric play led to the creation of the final form,” expands Bordás.

The BudaPrés Cider factory houses strictly purpose-designed spaces across three floors which are ‘logically separated,’ and well-integrated into its geometric spaces. Underneath the ground level, a hall-sized area hosts operational spaces accessible from an agricultural courtyard design on the slope side, where fruit processing and fermentation take place. Above lies the service level which accommodates guest areas, a bar, a reception, and a showroom, offering panoramic views of the building’s bucolic setting. A view into the courtyard is opened up from the guest area, wherein the barrels and bottles remain in full view, begetting glimpses of the garden and the open sky.

Varying in sizes and shapes, the high-ceiling spaces of the industrial architecture coalesce into one another while strutting their unique geometry. On the top-most level lies the attic space of the redefined gable roof, apart from offices, services, and operational as well as mechanical spaces. “The playful surfaces of the translucent volumes create a unique visual effect when illuminated at night, enhancing the building's unique appearance,” the design team explains. Bordás also confirms that the energy supply of the building is provided by solar panels while heating and cooling are ensured by heat pumps.

The material palette articulating the skin of the concrete architecture includes rectangular, brick-shaped anthracite ceramic tiles, vertical corrugated metal sheet roofing, plastered surfaces, aluminium doors and windows, and curtain walls, “along with the occasional metallic sheen of modern technology,” BORD specifies. The interior design too, adheres to the employed architectural concept: in the operational, industrial spaces, functional aspects are spotlighted, with raw technology kept intentionally visible, like the exposed concrete, structural elements, and the resin floors.

In the guest areas and offices, fair-faced concrete, wood, aluminium, and glass take over as the predominant materials, while rustic wooden cladding mounted on a double batten framework is employed on the sloping ceiling soffits; The claddings used for the factory are recycled from structural elements of agricultural buildings that were to be demolished, while the Swedish floor and custom wood panelling integrated into the geometry lend a warm atmosphere to the interiors.

The power of drawing from a site’s context is one of the primary factors articulating this architectural gesture—here, the slope dressed with 300 cider apple trees suffuse into the BudaPrés Cider building, both figuratively and literally, making it distinct in the natural landscape with its glass facade design overlooking the valley. The architecture is successful in remaining recognisable as the sight of inclined planes derived from geometries immediately grabs attention, as BORD’s chief architect relays.

“The experience is enhanced by the fact that we can have a glimpse of the cellar from various points of the space. The rustic wooden design, the warm lights of the public areas and the occasional appearance of raw operational spaces complement each other well. The entrance level opens directly towards the garden allowing tastings to continue in the apple orchard during the summer,” continues Bordás, who was recently awarded the Miklós Ybl Prize, a prestigious award given in recognition of outstanding independent architectural work for at least fifteen years.

Conceiving contextually resonant buildings is a deliberate engagement, a challenging one that aims to respect built environments, without slipping into genericism. Creating architectures that are relevant to the site, respecting it, drawing from it, and giving back to it, is a creative ethos in itself, speaking of a fundamental reciprocity nurtured between the natural and the built, as the BudaPrés Fruit Processing Plant stands witness to.

Project Details

Name: BudaPrés Fruit Processing Plant
Location: Etyek, Öreghegy, Hungary
Area: 910 sqm
Year of completion: 2023
Client: BudaPrés Kft. 
Architect: BORD Architectural Studio
Head Architect: Péter Bordás
Architecture Team: Róbert Benke, Zsófia Hompók, Csilla Kracker, Emese Kulcsár, Tamás Mezey, Tamás Tolvaj
Interior Design Coordination: DVM Group, Ildikó Lente, Orsolya Nagy
Mechanical Engineering: BORD HVAC Engineering Llc. - Zoltán Hollókövi
Landscape Architecture: BORD Architectural Studio - Andrea Waldmann