Students at SZE have launched a design competition for the interior refurbishment of the Deák Ferenc Faculty of Law and Political Sciences. Teams comprising students of architecture, architectural design and law, as well as those from related disciplines, have the opportunity to submit their proposals for the redesign of the main hall, teaching and community spaces by the end of November. The best projects will compete for a total prize fund of three million forints.

Since 2003, the Deák Ferenc Faculty of Law and Political Sciences at SZE has been based at the complex in Áldozat utca in Győr. The external refurbishment of the building was completed in 2022, and focus has now turned to rethinking the interior spaces. To this end, the institution has launched an ideas competition in interior design for its students.

The design project focuses on the faculty’s main hall and its immediate surroundings, totalling approximately 345 square metres. The aim is to develop modern, flexible and feasible proposals that improve the functionality of learning and social spaces, support informal learning and student engagement, can accommodate prestigious events, and reinforce the building’s institutional character and sustainability. Applicants are encouraged to explore spatial organisation, functions, furnishing, the use of materials and colours, lighting, and flexible zoning.

An important element of the competition is interdisciplinary collaboration: participants enrolled on architecture courses may enter individually or in teams of up to five, and may also involve up to two peers from other disciplines in their work. The involvement of students of industrial and graphic design, as well as law is particularly encouraged; the latter can provide designers with first-hand knowledge of faculty operations, user requirements and the day-to-day use of the space. Consequently, the competition not only aims to create new interior design solutions, but also strengthens the institution’s student community.

At the kick-off event for the call for applications held a few days ago, Dr Péter Smuk, Dean of the Faculty, said that the green surroundings, the convenient location and the sense of community make the faculty building unique. “Our faculty traditionally offers programmes that prepare students for influential careers in law; consequently, our graduates and institutional partners include numerous chief justices, constitutional court judges, government officials, lawyers at international law firms, company directors and managers based abroad. Our aim is for our Faculty, the home of these high-quality programmes, to reflect this social prestige in its internal spaces,” he emphasised.

Dean Dr Péter Smuk guiding students through the interior spaces featured in the competition. (Photo: András Adorján)

According to the competition’s organiser, Dr Nóra Géczy, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Transport Sciences, the students have an exciting few months ahead, as the competition offers not only an interesting professional challenge but also an opportunity for collaboration between faculties. At the kick-off event, alongside the initiators of the competition and representatives from the Deák Faculty, lecturers and students from the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Transport Sciences and the Design Campus of the Faculty of Design and Performance Arts placed great emphasis on assessing needs, getting to know the faculty community and outlining future functions. During the professional consultation, it was noted that the quality of the development depends not only on the quality of the materials, but also on the user comfort and the harmony between space and people.

Dr László Knapp, Head of the Department of International and European Law at the Deák Ferenc Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Zsolt Rotter, the University’s Director of Technical Development and Operations; Dr Nóra Géczy, a lecturer at the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Transport Sciences; Kriszta Fülöp and Péter Szabó, lecturers at the Design Campus of the Faculty of Design and Performance Arts; Dr István Katona, Head of the Department of Architectural Design; and Professor Péter Smuk, Dean of the Faculty of Law, in front of the building on Áldozat utca. (Photo: András Adorján)

Applications can be submitted until 30 November via the design competition website. The designs will be assessed by a judging panel comprising architectural and interior design experts, as well as representatives from the University and the faculty; the first prize is 1.2 million forints gross, followed by 900,000 forints for second place, 600,000 for third, and 300,000 for the special prize. The announcement of the results and the opening of the exhibition showcasing the submitted works are scheduled for 14 December. The winning designs may subsequently serve as a basis for further professional development, with a view to implementing the best ideas at a later date.

Numerous Széchenyi University students from the Deák Ferenc Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, the Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Transport Sciences, and the Faculty of Design and Performance Arts attended the competition launch event. (Photos: András Adorján)