æsculus

The celebrated Hungarian novelist Géza Gárdonyi (1863–1922)—whose most famous novel, Stars of Eger, is a fundamental part of the curriculum in primary schools—fashioned a botanical garden around his house in the early 1900s. In addition to having a significant role in the formation of local identity,
by planting horse chestnut trees, he became the first activator in the process. The Gárdonyi Garden became our point of departure: the place that captivated and empowered us throughout the project, the place where thoughts are conceived. Its presence has also determined the destiny of the abandoned, crumbling building it accommodates.