The last open international competition was held in the Hungarian capital more than a century ago, when the city's millennium was celebrated. The 2014 competition - for projects of five museum buildings in the main park of Budapest, City or Varoshliget - consisted of four independent sections, although the jury of 11 experts - architects and museum specialists - was common for all. However, only three of the four "sub-contests" were successfully completed: none of the more than 80 options for the building of the National Gallery and Museum of Modern Art satisfied the jury, and therefore it was decided to hold a new competition, already closed - with selection by portfolio and those invited in advance to participate in The 2nd round with the "stars" (we wrote about this in detail earlier). The results of this competition will be announced in August 2015.
In total, more than 470 works were submitted to the multipart competition, which is not surprising, given its open and anonymous nature: the jury found out who exactly performed the best works only after deciding on the winners.
"House of Hungarian Music" will be built according to the project of So Fujimoto (he is the only "star" among the winners); The building of the Ethnographic Museum was entrusted to the French bureau Vallet de Martinis Architectes, and the neighboring buildings of the Hungarian Museum of Architecture and the Budapest Photo Museum were assigned to the Hungarian workshop KÖZTI (Középülettervező Zrt.).
The construction of all five buildings is planned for 2016–2018. At the same time, the City Park of Budapest will be renewed, the area of its green spaces will be significantly increased. It is important to emphasize that new buildings will appear either on the currently asphalted areas, or instead of buildings intended for demolition, that is, the capital's flora will not be affected by this large-scale project.
The park is adjacent to Heroes' Square, where the Museum of Fine Arts and the exhibition hall "Mucharnok" are located - neoclassicist buildings of the turn of the century, therefore the further "framing" of Varoshliget with museum buildings, which is planned now, continues the strategy of a century ago.
So Fujimoto. "House of Hungarian Music"
Vallet de Martinis Architectes. Ethnographical museum
KÖZTI. Hungarian Museum of Architecture and Budapest Photo Museum
