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At the award ceremony, it was said that in addition to the Nine-Arched Bridge in Hortobágy, another significant bridge will be built in the landscape, connecting the past with the future and Debrecen with the world’s top industry.
In May, Minister János Lázár made a big announcement: They plan to build the new Transport Museum in Debrecen, near the BMW Group Plant Debrecen. According to the minister, the HUF 150 billion investment also symbolizes the renaissance of public transport and highlights the importance of 21st-century mobility. It would also help everyone understand what it means to drive a car nowadays and what perspective public transport provides.
The Construction and Transport Ministry held the prize-giving ceremony for the Hungarian Transport Museum’s architectural idea competition in the Kölcsey Center, where the best designs can be viewed.
Secretary of State for Architecture Regő Lánszki emphasized that Debrecen is an ideal place for the transport museum. As he said, Debrecen is the new star of the automotive industry.
Domonkos Schneller, the museum’s director, discussed the different expectations a museum must meet. He compared it—in terms of its importance—to internationally known large institutions in the world. The expert stated that several works have been created that may be suitable for starting joint work with the creators behind them. At the same time, he indicated that a significant institution will be built near Debrecen for the automotive industry players operating in our country.
In his speech, Mayor László Papp recalled the critical issues discussed during the day with Minister János Lázár, who mentioned the possibility of a co-capital about Debrecen. He emphasized the importance of the government’s intention to dissolve the one-centeredness of post-Trianon Hungary. He said that Debrecen would become the country’s new economic and industrial centre by the beginning of the 2030s, five times the economic performance that characterized the city at the start of the 2020s – moreover, in areas that can be said to belong to the industries of the future. He spoke about how transport is a defining area in Debrecen, which is being built into one of the strongholds of European electromobility right before our eyes.
BMW’s new factory is being built, opening a new era in world motoring. Energy storage and battery production will also become a part of the city’s life, László Papp said, adding that Debrecen needs to change its scale economically. It is also typical in other countries that there are significant institutions in the capital and rural towns. The mayor mentioned the Czech Republic (Prague-Brno relationship) and Slovakia (Bratislava-Kassa) as examples.
László Papp thanked János Lázár for “thinking about and realizing the possibility of bringing the transport museum to Debrecen”. The mayor stated that outstanding works regarding transportation and architecture were created after seeing the submitted projects. As he said, he is confident that we will be able to talk about planning and implementation in the next phase after the idea contest.
Applicants were given complete creative freedom. Eighteen works were submitted to the competition for ideas, of which nine were awarded by the judging committee, whose member was Mayor László Papp. Since the tender had no constraints, the designers were given complete creative freedom. The jury found the design of the architecture firm Archiko Kft. to be the best.
The Construction and Transportation Ministry buys several plans during the idea competition, based on which it can later prepare a detailed planning program suitable for everyone. The museum will also be a new prominent meeting point in Debrecen.
The competition for ideas was published in the announcement of the Construction and Transport Ministry in the Official Journal of the European Union. The documentation states that the ministry is “awaiting architectural proposals for a building or complex of buildings that point to the future and provide an inspiring background for innovation that can serve the prescribed functions at the highest possible level and fulfil the evaluation criteria.” The design site is located in the area bounded by the M35 motorway, the BMW boulevard and the BMW factory motorway exit. The estimated floor area of the cultural and innovation centre is 14,000 square meters. Its goal is to create a new museum building complex at the level of the world’s newest technical and natural science museums. It presents the past of transportation, provides an inspiring background for future-oriented solutions and innovation, and is suitable for accommodating 350,000 visitors a year. At the same time, it will provide space for educational, conference functions and business events as Debrecen’s new, prominent meeting point.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
