Whether it is for an apartment or a family home, the conception of built-in furnitures, as well as of a few additional design objects of notable importance that are subject to frequent use, has always been an essential part of interior design.
Located on the promenade stretching between the Parliament and the Government Building, at the mouth of Markó utca is the spot where a statue of former social democrat politician Anna Kéthly had been envisioned. In a restricted tender, sculpture artist Tamás Varga submitted his bid and asked me to partner with him as landscape architect. A quote from the bid: “… The planned sculpture is to present one of the foremost thinkers of the 20th century, a charismatic leader of social democracy and the feminist movement, and among the first women parliamentarians… Just like a mythological creature, she has her own living arbour. I believe that’s the least such a larger-than-life female personality deserves…” According gosto tender announcement, bids were supposed to be assessed on 8 May 2014. Instead, the procedure was terminated on behalf of the tenderers (District Mayor Antal Rogán and Speaker of the Parliament László Kövér) without the results ever being announced.
After its purchase of a residential building in the picturesque lakefront town of Tihany, the Kogart Art Foundation announced an invitation-only tender so that the property could be converted into an art gallery. Although located in a street heavily frequented by tourists, just a stone’s throw away from the Monastery, the building obviously must not join the ranks of the Paprika House, the country-style restaurant and the hordes of outlets selling folk art kitsch, and cannot be any more brazen than them. My design was centered on the idea of being open to interested visitors while remaining hidden from mere onlookers. The U-shaped building consists of five adjoining spaces, thereby setting the route within. A similarly important element of the visitor experience is the garden, which one might consider the sixth sphere. The building’s interior also operates with a block-like structure and, lacking a ceiling, there is a single uninterrupted space throughout. This would have been a credible and elegant solution for transforming a residential function into community utility, all the while preserving the original proportions. Another architect got selected, and the completed building is solid proof why.
