A unique “sanctuary” of craft beer culture was built in Győr | Apátúr Sörház

Craft beer is served in many places, but there are only a few bars where you can really understand what quality beer brewing means. In addition, thanks to the team of LEN Architects, we can enjoy all this in a special interior where Benedictine traditions meet modern, refined design.

Apátúr Sörház, which is more than just a catering unit, is located in the main square of Győr, in the building of the old Lloyd Palace. Széchenyi István University and Saint Maurus Benedictine Priory of Győr jointly created the beerhouse and the related workshop, where students of the community can train themselves.

The pub and the brewery are located on the ground floor, and in the cellar, a fermentation area was created, where the Benedictine beer is fermented in twelve 500-liter containers. Here, guests can not only enjoy delicious bites, but can also take a close look at the brewing processes, and last but not least, tap the beer themselves, if they feel like, at dinner.

The interior design of the unique unit has been entrusted to LEN Architects, a team that specializes in urban and interior design, as well as in the design of residential, public and industrial buildings. The designer office in Győr undertook the task to create timeless and high-quality spaces in a contemporary spirit, marrying the modern, simple design with Benedictine traditions. During the design process, the founder of the studio, architect Zsuzsa Nagy and her colleagues focused on the trio of innovation-tradition-education. “We wanted to show that we can combine built heritage with today’s requirements in a harmonious and sophisticated way with durable materials and simple forms,” she says.

The Lloyd Palace has undergone many rebuildings in recent centuries: among others, Csaba Rosta S. and his office left their mark in 2008—the glass floor, which was placed in front of the current central counter, was their brainchild. In respect of this element of space, Zsuzsa and her team proceeded with the planning and created the interior design of the Sörház, adding quotes from the Monastic Rule, so that shier guests can also approach the glass floor with confidence. In terms of color use, hops were the starting point for the designers, and they tried to incorporate as much natural wood in the interior as possible. “We deliberately avoided the trends. Our aim was to be timeless in all areas, so that the style of the Beer House would be acceptable years later—sophisticated, just like the owners of the place,” Zsuzsa says.

It is not a coincidence that the guest space was furnished with the chairs of Plydesign: it has always been important in Zsuzsa’s life to promote Hungarian design—her design shop called MINIMA operated in the center of Győr between 2012 and 2020, and since 2017, she has also been the curator of the Design Week Győr event series.

As we can read on the Facebook page of Apátúr Sörház, “Through brewing, catering and event organization, we establish a connection—beyond the walls of the monastery—with the spiritual and earthly good in order to create a lasting legacy in both gastronomy and Benedictine culture,” and they fully comply with this, for example, in the form of various side events. For instance, the event held on March 1, the first day of Lent, where historian and gastronomy historian Csaba Katona told about carnival customs and Benedictine traditions, and where special dishes prepared for the festive season, in line with Shrove Tuesday, were awaiting visitors. They have a permanent selection of four beers brewed in-house—the Pils type “Novicius”, the “Perjel” wheat beer, the semi-dark “Magister” and the New England IPA type “Fráter”—which are complemented by seasonal novelties.

Designer: Zsuzsa Nagy
Team members: László Román, Anna Júlia Nagy, Borbála Pető

Photo: Piroska Varga—LEN Architects Architecture Studio

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• architecture
• design
• győr
• east
• brewery
• craft beer