A designer of several emblematic contemporary buildings, Péter Basa Ybl-prized architect died at the age of 46. Among others, he was the designer of the Church of Hungarians Over the Frontier in Budakeszi for which he was awarded Pro Architectura prize and he also contributed to the designs of the Hungarian pavillion built for the Expo in Hannover, 2000. For the reconstruction of the Barabás Villa in Buda he received Europa Nostra prize in 2004. Krisztina Somogyi made an interview with Gergely Fernezelyi, a regular designer-architect fellow of Péter Basa.

Office Block, Budapest, Királyhágó Square

Here are some excerpts from this interview:

„… His attitude to architectural entranced me, much in the same way as his perfectionist consistency, due to which he accepted no compromise. When everyone felt the task had already been solved and it was actually good, Péter still drew another five different versions and examined the issue from three more aspects. This is how everything turned out to be of an exceptionally good quality whatever he worked on… He was interested in what was happening that day but he did not like trendy things. He could not stand concepts on the go now with emphasized qualities such as fashionable, chic or eye-catching. All this was suspicious for him. We approach architecture in a different way. It is not a fine house which has a replaceable skin that someone might entirely reinterpret someone. A building should try to find something of a general relevance. To state something which is true not only today, but also after ten years’ time. Well, of course the world may surpass conceptuality, but this is how Péter approached houses…”

Sándor Weöres Theatre, Szombathely