Kőrösi Csoma Sándor Memorial House, Kovászna

Architect: Lőrinc Csernyus
Text: Éva Ferencz
Photos: Bence Csernyus

In the spring of 1784, in Csomakőrös, near Kovászna, Sándor Csoma was born. He is a world-famous Tibetologist and Orientalist, whose work and intellectual heritage were respected by the local community, despite the authorities’ prohibition. The public cultural association bearing Csoma’s name was registered in 1990, after the change of the political system, and its members were the town’s intellectuals: teachers, clergymen, doctors, cultural workers. In the years following the founding of this association, the idea of creating a memorial house and documentation centre was conceived. Imre Makovecz finally took on the planning in 1994 — or, more precisely, delegated it to his then young pupil, Lőrinc Csernyus. Csernyus carried out the task under Makovecz’s supervision and correction, always bearing in mind that the building inspired by Csoma’s oeuvre could become one of the spiritual and physical centres of universal Hungarianism. However, due to a lack of funds, the project itself stalled when the fund was not raised, and then the Hungarian state managed to restart the construction. Finally, in the spring of 2024, the building was inaugurated and opened to the public, and the architect’s concept was to build a bridge between the two „continents”, East and West. The ground floor lobby of the two-storey building will be the first stage of a permanent exhibition presenting Csoma’s life. This will include a conference room with a seating capacity of 60-70 people, a library room and office space. A corridor connects the lobby with the rooms around it. Five guest rooms are also located on the upper floor, in addition to an exhibition space.

Client: Kőrösi Csoma Sándor Közművelődési Egyesület
General planning: ArchEA Építész Műhely
Lead architect: Lőrinc Csernyus
Fellow architect: Balázs Váradi
Interiors: Márton Tóth
Landscape, garden: Mónika Buella
Architect in charge of naturalisation, co-architect: Attila Szász-Veress