Key Projects

South Transdanubian Regional Library and Knowledge Centre

The goal of the project is to build a modern regional library and knowledge centre with a floor space of nearly 12,000 square metres that can meet today's user needs, provide information and documents for the people of the region and the city at European standards and host community, cultural and leisure programmes as well. Its structural conditions and modern equipment will enable the new regional library and knowledge centre to serve a lot more citizens of Pécs than ever before.

The new institution will integrate the three major libraries of the city: the City Library, the Csorba Győző County Library and the Central Library of the University of Pécs; furthermore, it will also include the libraries of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Economics. The Centre will have two lecture halls, each accommodating and audience of 200, which will be used by the two faculties of the University. The two halls can be turned into one large hall, so the Centre will be able to host quite large events too. The knowledge centre function will be complemented by several research rooms and internet workstations. Children will be welcome to the children's library and a playroom next to the roof garden. Community function will be represented by a lounge-forum, a bookstore, an exhibition space, a café and restaurant.

The new institution will be built on the eastern border of the historic city centre, bounded by Universitas Street on the north, Sport Street on the west and the Pécs – Mohács railway line on the south. The building site is located on the premises of the PEAC Sport Club. A new road from Sport Street running parallel with the railway line will provide access to the building. Increased traffic makes it necessary to develop Sport Street – crossing over the railway line – as far as Tüskésréti Street so that the site could be accessed conveniently from several different directions. We expect increased heavy traffic and temporary traffic restrictions in Sport Street, Universitas Street and Zsolnay Street during the construction phase. The building itself will be positioned on the site as far from the railway line and the busy traffic of Sport Street as possible. Next to the building a car park for 250 cars will be built. The building will be surrounded by a garden with lots of trees on the undeveloped sections of the building site.

The design competition was closed in April of 2007. The winning proposal was submitted by the Török and Balázs Architect's Office from Budapest. Construction work began in July 2009.