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A joint entry by a Danish star architect and a Hungarian architectural firm became the first in the international design competition for the new exhibition building of the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Debrecen.
The designer of the new exhibition building of the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Debrecen was selected through a design competition involving the participation of prestigious domestic and international firms. The results were announced on Friday in a ceremonial setting. The first, participatory phase closed on the 31st of October, for which 30 applications were received, ten of which were invited to submit applications. In addition to the invited applicants, the companies in the top four in the ranking could also participate; all fourteen applied.
As reported earlier, internationally renowned architectural firms also participate in the design competition. Among them are Zaha Hadid Architects (the Iraqi Zaha Hadid, who died in 2016, is one of the most respected figures in contemporary architecture, having designed iconic buildings such as the MAXXI Museum in Rome, the Phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, or the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku), Sauerbruch Hutton, founded in London (Brandhorst Museum in Munich, M9 Museum District in Venice), the Danish 3XN (the Cube in Berlin, the Quay Quarter Tower in Australia, the Liverpool Museum) or the also Danish BIG (Danish Maritime Museum, LEGO House, West 57 New Yorkbab, Sluishuis in Amsterdam).
As announced on Friday, the design competition winner was the joint entry by BIG, founded by Danish star architect Bjarke Ingels, and Vikár and Lukács Architecture Studio Ltd., which will be awarded EUR 60,000. The building they dreamed up, awarded first prize, slowly reveals itself with its spectacular, attractive appearance from almost every perspective, invites exploration, and evokes emotions. The green roof garden of the intersecting strips of land offers numerous educational opportunities. With the fusion of external and internal spaces, it can function as a proper open community building. It can be envisioned as an outstanding recreation location for families and the most diverse social classes.
“In addition to identifying itself as an institution with a natural science character by its appearance, the entry also offers outstanding solutions regarding the visitor experience. The new exhibition building of the Hungarian Natural History Museum in Debrecen can be placed on the cultural map of Hungary and the region as an iconic, worthy home,” the jury justified.
The jury evaluated the joint entry of 3XN A/S and NAUTES Architect’s Workshop Ltd. as the second best and awarded it EUR 40,000. Third place went to Public Building Design Ltd., with a prize of EUR 10,000. Regarding two other entries (BORD Architect Studio Ltd. and M-Teampannon Architectural Engineering Ltd.), the committee purchased the plans due to their outstanding conceptual and architectural solutions.
The winning and purchased entries are also available on this page.
The National Chief Architect and the State Secretary for Architecture at the Ministry of Construction and Transport, Regő Lánszki, said that a country can only be successful if regional centres are formed. For this, museums with national collections must be established not only in Budapest. He said that the winning design is architecturally so iconic that it fits into the environment, strengthens identity, and is a creation that can be connected to and fascinates.
Mayor László Papp called the Hungarian Natural History Museum building in Debrecen one of our country’s most significant future cultural and scientific investments. He said that Debrecen is in a development phase of outstanding importance in its history. The engine of the process is the enormous growth of the city’s economy. Still, at the same time, “the development of the economy is not the goal, but only a means to spend the decades ahead in safety, development, and prosperity.”
He added that their aspiration is that what happens in Debrecen should result in value creation and preservation. He emphasised that it is a historical fact that economic development has a significant impact on both scientific and cultural life, and these two areas can now be embodied in the new museum building, which Debrecen is worthy of hosting. He said that it was not good for the country to be synonymous with Budapest, and now Debrecen does not want to take anything away from Budapest but instead wants to contribute to the development of Budapest.
Ferenc Kun, the Managing Director of Debrecen Infrastructure Development Ltd. (DIF), the company that conducted the design competition, said that after the results are announced, the contracts necessary for the awards announcement will be prepared, and then the offices that win the first prize will be given the opportunity to prepare the concrete designs in a negotiated procurement procedure.
During the official results announcement, Bjarke Ingels sent a video message. The Danish star architect emphasised that they had dreamed up their building in a truly special environment, for which they feel fortunate. He said that besides his partners and colleagues, his students were also involved in the work, and they can’t wait for the building to be realised.
A partner in the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), Hannah Ida Johannson said of their project, “People, the visiting public, are invited to come up to the top of the building, up this hill, where they will be at a height where they can explore the treetops and the city skyline, so that in addition to creating a new facility for the National Museum that is truly modern and contemporary, a new community space for Debrecen is created.”
A panel of recognised experts judged the entries.
The Director General of the Hungarian Natural History Museum and Chairman of the jury, Zsolt Bernert, told Médiacentrum Debrecen that the jury had to evaluate very high-quality entries, so it was not easy. He added that he was delighted that the final winner was the entry the museum experts had previously judged to be the best. The Director-General believes the building will bring Debrecen considerable international recognition and be a tourist attraction.
“The Hungarian Natural History Museum aims to make the new exhibition building the number one showcase for environmental protection, biodiversity and sustainable development in Hungary, and to create an experience that will attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. To achieve these goals, the 1st prize winning entry is the right choice in every respect,” he stressed.
Deputy State Secretary for Architectural Strategy and Co-chair of the Jury Lóránt Perényi highlighted that DIF had professionally prepared the design competition. He said that in addition to functionality and architectural values, the winning entry had to consider feasibility and future operability and fit in with the Great Forest’s site.
The chief architect of Debrecen, István Gábor, also emphasised that the actual value of the design competition was formulated in the two-year preparatory process. He said, “The nation has been waiting since 1802 to have its own, independent Museum of Natural History, and this should be represented by a building in Debrecen that represents its weight. The jury also felt all this.” He believes that in the winning entry, they found a timeless contemporary symbol that has a message for tomorrow.
Architect Stefano Casciani pointed out that he had been a member of several jury committees during his career. Still, he considered this one the most interesting because of the importance of the building and the project itself in general. He said it was interesting to see the different approaches of the applicants. He emphasised that it was clear that the winner had studied the problems of environmental balance and that the winning work focuses on green architecture, namely, environmentally friendly solutions and sustainability.
The Chief Architect of Barcelona, Maria Buhigas, said that the Hungarian Natural History Museum is a fascinating institution in a beautiful location, in the middle of the forest, in nature. She believes that the jury did not only decide on the building when choosing the winner, but also on its values and message: “the balance between nature and the built environment, which they want to convey to people through the building.”
The Moesgaard Museum’s exhibition director, Pauline Asingh, emphasised that all 14 applications had to be examined very carefully. According to her, the winning design is discreet but very interesting, fits well with its environment, and will be excellent for visitors to walk through.
Architect Martha Thorne, who participated in the process as an expert, said the application was an excellent opportunity for renowned Hungarian and foreign experts to meet and make proposals for such a unique, new exhibition building. She believes that the application that best met the criteria—image, functionality, experiential nature, and sustainability—was chosen as the winner.
The Hungarian Natural History Museum in Debrecen is planned to be built on the former Oláh Gábor Street Stadium site. A significant part of the 23,000 square meter area will be an interior garden, a nearly five thousand square meter parking lot will be created, the building will include a seven thousand square meter exhibition space, to which six thousand square meters of public circulation, reception and circulation space are connected, 2,800 square meters will be occupied by offices related to the museum management and researchers, and 2,500 square meters will be used for technical, operational and mechanical space.
Interested parties can view the entries for one week from the 31st of March 2025 on the ground floor of the Kölcsey Centre in Debrecen and then, according to plans, in Budapest at the Hungarian Natural History Museum. Furthermore, DIF has made them available on the official website of the design competition at https://mtm.debrecen.hu/
About the winning architectural studios
The Danish Bjarke Ingels Group doesn’t just design buildings; they shape visions for the future. With their innovative, sustainable and spectacular solutions, they are redefining the boundaries of architecture worldwide. Their works, whether skyscrapers, urban developments or floating communities, are both utopian and extremely practical. BIG tells the story of the future in the language of architecture, provocatively, playfully, and fascinatingly.
Vikár and Lukács Architecture Studio Ltd. has become a defining player in contemporary Hungarian architecture over the past two decades. The studio’s work is characterised by high architectural quality, sensitive response to the environment and functional innovation. Their portfolio includes public buildings, cultural spaces, educational institutions and residential buildings, and numerous award-winning designs and completed projects are the hallmarks of their activities.
Source and photo credit:debrecen.hu
