Silver Carpenter’s Pencil Prize 2020

It is the 11th time now that the architectural and press prize named Silver Carpenter’s Pencil has been awarded. It also heralded the coming of a new era with the new decade: from this year on, the Association of Hungarian Architects (MÉSZ) took over the task of managing this prestigious recognition founded in 2010 by […]

Elemér Zalotay 1932–2020

Text: György Szegő Elemér Zalotay, an iconic architect in both Hungarian and international architecture, passed away on November 14th, 2020. He made thousands of designs for the future, but left only a few houses behind which are all excellent, and highly sculpturesque. Zalotay was a fervent believer of Modernism and disregarded architectural circumstances in Hungary […]

Underground Minimalism

The Modernisation of Four Stations of M3 Line Architects: Zoltán Erő, Balázs Csapó, Gergely Hartmann, Anikó Kármán, Viktor Polonyi, Klára Szilágyi, Annamária Bretz Text: Mária Tatai Photos: Zsolt Hlinka Four old-and-new stations of metro line No. 3 were opened tot he public in October, 2020: those at Határ út, Pöttyös utca, Ecseri út and Népliget. […]

Three Eras of a Villa

The Reconstruction of the Synagogue in Thököly Road Architect: Tamás Dévényi Text: Rudolf Klein Photos: Tamás Bujnovszky The synagogue in Thököly Road appears to be a unique building as it does not seem to be a synagogue, as opposed to the gorgeous Jewish temples built in the „golden era”: it has no spire, dome, or […]

Castle, Props, Castle

Renovation of Schossberger Castle, Tura Architecture: TSPC Kft. (Miklós Ybl, 1873) Text: Gábor Nagy Photos: Norbert Juhász – TSPC The castle in Tura was built by Vilmos Schossberger in 1873, originally as a summer resort. Its designer was Miklós Ybl, one of the most significant Hungarian architects, famous for such projects as the Opera House, […]

The House of the Seed-Sower

Calvinist Church and Congregation Home, Csömör Architect: Zoltán Berzsák Text: Sándor Csontó Photos: József Hajdú The Calvinist Mission Congregation of Csömör-Nagytarcsa published an invitational tender back in December 2013 for the preliminary designs of a multi-functional complex named „The House of the Seed-Sower”. After the completion of the first stage, in autumn 2018 the project […]

Assimilating Zeitgeist

The Gym Hall of St Margaret Secondary Grammar School Architects: Zsolt Félix, Tamás Fialovszky, Bálint Gulyás, Gergely Kenéz Text: Tamás Kiss Photos: Gergely Kenéz Students of the Buda-based St Margaret Secondary Grammar School have recently taken over their new gym hall along Villányi Road. The new building is almost invisible for passers-by in the street, […]

A Place for Healing

The Extension Project of the Buda Hospital of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John Architect: Zsolt István Kiss Text: Anna Zöldi Photos: József Hajdú, András Móri The first stage of the extension and modernization project of the Hospital of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John based in Buda has been completed. The new wing of […]

Landscape Projection, Geometric Forms

Kis-Balaton Visitors’ Centre, Fenékpuszta Architect: Zsolt Vasáros Text: Zorán Vukoszávlyev Photos: Bendegúz Takáts, Richárd Tóth The lake named Kis-Balaton is a wide marsh and moor zone of the river Zala, which formerly occupied a large area. Completed this summer, its Visitors’ Centre has architectural gestures that prove belongingness to the landscape. The structure is seated […]

Spare and Playful

Tenement House with 27 Units, Kőbánya Architects: Katalin Vonnák, Györgyi Csontos Text: Eszter Götz Photos: Viktor Rozmann A solid and yet playful residential building has now appeared amongst the old patinated and deteriorating buildings in the industrial zone of Kőbánya. With its four storeys and a length of 90 metres it could also function as […]

Puritan and Accommodating Practicality

The Administrative Building of the Franciscan Secondary Grammar School, Szentendre Architects: János Golda, Melinda Híves, Erzsébet Mészáros Text: András Hadik Photos: Tamás Szántó Preserved from the era of state socialism, the Franciscan Grammar-School in Szentendre was the single co-ed institution of the few Catholic schools in Hungary. In its first staff not only Franciscan teachers, […]

At the Crossroads of Baroque and Contemporary Art

Humboldt Forum, Berlin Schloss Architect: Franco Stella Text: György Szegő Photos: SHF / Giuliani von Viese, Stefan Falk, David von Becker The Schloss boasts of a rich past of 600 years. The Renaissance-style castle was rebuilt as a Baroque one by Andreas Schlüter in 1698, and was completely destroyed in 1945. Its reconstruction today was […]