St. Anna children’s centre

The building is located on St Michael Hill, the historic outskirt of Sopron. The orphanage was founded in 1789 by Károly Voss Ehrenfelsi and Anna Dorottya Lanius who donated their entire wealth to the foundation of an orphanage. The building complex, reached its final form by the end of the 19th century, and operated for 178 years, closing in 1950, and being abandoned in the early 2000s. The St. Anna children’s Centre is integrally linked to the educational structure of the Roman Catholic Church in Sopron. The new nursery makes room for classrooms and a playground by demolishing the rear wings from the 19th century, that were in a life-threatening structural condition. The remaining part of the building was completely renovated with a two-group nursery and a wide range of service functions. Our architectural concept was to turn inwards to the courtyards. In the dense, grown urban fabric, the architectural tools used were chosen to create a unique, cheerful children’s oasis.