Debrecen4U February 2, 2026

Visual Designs Showcase the Hungarian Natural History Museum’s New Debrecen Collection Center

The international design competition for the Hungarian Natural History Museum’s exhibition building in Debrecen was concluded last March, and the winning entry was the joint proposal of the world-renowned Danish Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and Vikár és Lukács Építész Stúdió Kft. The exhibition building will be constructed in the Nagyerdő area, on the site of the former Loki Stadium, on Oláh Gábor Street.

However, the Natural History Museum will also have another building in Debrecen: the collection center, which will be located on the western side of the city, in the University Innovation Industrial Park.

This was justified by the fact that while the exhibition building to be established in Debrecen’s Great Forest maintains a close relationship with a natural environment free from human intervention, the collection center will be integrated into the scientific ecosystem of the University of Debrecen.

At the results announcement held on Friday, it was announced that the winner of the collection center design competition was the consortium of Sordo Madaleno Ltd., Építész Stúdió Kft., and Buro Happold Ltd.

As stated during the evaluation, in their design the building appears as a single, compact, clearly defined rectangular mass, with rational internal spatial organization and a layered, solid façade that reflects the geological characteristics of the region.

“The collection center is far more for Debrecen than a background institution. It is the knowledge base that elevates the city to one of the most important centers of Hungarian natural sciences. Thanks to the proximity of the University of Debrecen, research, education, and museum practice are linked together in an unprecedented way through continuous, everyday cooperation. Here, we not only preserve the national natural heritage, but also actively support the future researchers, educators, and professionals. In the long term, this center strengthens Debrecen’s intellectual power and makes the city visible on the international scientific map,” Deputy Mayor and Member of the Jury Lajos Barcsa said at the event.

“The nation has been waiting for more than 100 years to have its own independent Natural History Museum—one that can house and present, in a way that meets modern expectations, the natural science collection that began with the rock collection donated in 1803 by Count Ferenc Széchényi’s wife, Júlianna Festetics, and has since grown to 11 million items. The new exhibition building and the associated Collection Center will form a unified complex tailored to the needs of the institution and its collections, fully supporting its educational and research activities while operating in harmony with the natural environment,” Zsolt Bernert, Director General of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, emphasized.

According to the evaluation, the award‑winning design takes responsibility for the immensely valuable collections while ensuring the everyday comfort of staff, and defines an environment where the artifacts can receive the highest level of professional care. The jury highlighted that the plan serves the functions of the background institution exceptionally well: in the 43,000‑square‑meter collection and research center, the optimal organization of storage areas, laboratories, and digitization workshops ensures the long‑term preservation of the collections, the uninterrupted progress of research, and the efficient execution of international scientific collaborations. The designers paid special attention to sustainability, safety, and innovative logistics solutions related to the collections, making the center a comprehensive support structure for the scientific work of the Hungarian Natural History Museum.

“Within the city, the locations of the exhibition building and the Collection Center will be separated: the museum building for visitors will be situated in Great Forest (Nagyerdő), on the site of the former Loki stadium, while the Collection Center will be housed in the university’s industrial park. Separating the exhibition building and the Collection Center is not new—rather, it reflects an international trend,”  stressed Ferenc Kun, Managing Director of Debreceni Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Kft., the organization responsible for implementing the museum’s Debrecen complex.

Carrying out the collection‑related work at a separate location also means that relocating the collection will not depend on the opening of the exhibition building, allowing preparatory activities to be planned more efficiently.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu