Vizafogó Park, Budapest

Ladscape architecture: Máté Pécsi, Eszter Ripszám
Text: Eszter Götz
Photos: József Hajdú

Behind the Pest bridgehead of the Árpád bridge, on the other side of the new tower block and the Agora office park with a total area of 130,000 square meters, a park was born in the summer of 2022. In its name and appearance, it bears the old name of the neighborhood, but its outlook is definitely pointing to the future. The 10,000-square-meter Vizafogó Park was created in a place that was previously intended for development, but at the suggestion of the local communities, the municipality reclassified it as a green area. An exemplary decision was made. With the transformation of the former industrial zone, perhaps Budapest’s densest office district was created here, where there is a burning need for a little open green space, good air and the enjoyment of the joys of nature. The central element of the park is an ornamental lake with an irregular shape, enriched with smaller stretches and larger water surfaces, islands of aquatic plants, perched rocks and a stepped shore design, surrounded by sunbathing and rest areas. The riverbed is lined with volcanic stones, and the metal statue in the middle of the lake recalls the memory of the people who once lived here. On one side, sun loungers await those who rest here, on the other, a cafe-pavilion with a terrace “floats” above the water, built of wooden-framed panels.

General planning, landscape architecture: János Hómann, Máté Pécsi, Eszter Ripszám, Wang Xiao – Objekt Ltd.
Architecture: Csaba Nagy, Károly Pólus, Miklós Batta, Bianka Varga – Archikon Architects
Sculptor: János Lestyán Goda
Structure: Gábor Cséfalvay, Zsófia Szenczi – TETRA-Plan Ltd.
HVAC: Zoltán Sor – PhQ Ltd.
Electrical engineering: Dávid Aczél – Enova Ltd.
Fire protection: György Decsi – Fireeng Ltd.
Kitchen technology: Árpád Rátonyi – Quartisse Ltd.
Roads: Miklós Ittzés, Péter Varga, Gábor Hartai – Ittzés Ltd,
Water engineering: Sándor Szűcs – Laungrin Ltd.
Outdoor public utilities: Attila Bíró, Gábor Hanczár, Ágnes Ördög-Beke – KÉSZ Ltd.
Lighting, energy supply: Attila Molnár – Tetra-Com Ltd.
Soil mechanics: László Boldizsár, György Kovalóczy – Argon-Geo Ltd.
Geodesy: Szabolcs Vajda – Tájépítész Ltd.
Investor: Municipality of 13th District Budapest
Main contractor: Szabolcs Bubla, Eszter Latinovics, Zoltán Varga – Parkfenntartó Ltd.