The Budapest Ethnographic Museum bridges the gap between past and future, and with the historic city centre of the Hungarian capital and the city’s central park, the local’s popular destination for leisure and recreation. The architectural hallmark of this imposing new structure is its green, accessible roof – reminiscent of the enormous supporting structure of a suspension bridge rising up from the earth. Here, BEGA outdoor luminaires guide the visitors.
The two-kilometre walk leads from Budapest's old town via the magnificent Andrássy út to Heroes' Square and the city’s central park. In this historical environment, close to the Museum of Fine Arts, the recently completed Ethnographic Museum opened its doors in May of 2022. Instead of a traditional museum, the Hungarian architect Marcel Ferencz created a feature building with the potential of becoming a new landmark in Budapest. A large part of the 33,000 square metre exhibition space was constructed underground, while the undulating landscape above allows the museum to integrate smoothly with the natural environs of the city park.
Several footpaths, illuminated by BEGA pole-top luminaires guide visitors to the museum with its imposing roof structure, which is grassed and planted over an area of more than 7300 square metres, and is accessible via a number of staircases. A wide central staircase, which doubles as rest area, leads upward. BEGA bollards with glare-free light distribution create an inviting and safe environment. Narrow staircases along the building’s wings lead to the highest point of the roof garden. Their asymmetrical light distribution highlights edges and contours, spatial depth perception is improved, and every step feels safe. Once at the top, breathtaking views of the city and surrounding landscapes await the visitors.
However, the landscaped roof is not the only striking feature of this award-winning building: there is also its amazing glass facade. Countless laser-cut aluminium elements form a complex pattern reminiscent of the museum's ethnographic exhibits and creating a direct link to the collection within. The sun's rays create an intricate dance of light and shadow inside the museum, further underlining the connection between inside and outside. Building Information Modelling (BIM) was used at every stage – from the initial drafts to final implementation – to overcome the many challenges of this complex structure. Additionally, a bespoke, internet-based tool was used to facilitate the collaboration between all stakeholders. This exceptional architectural marvel is the result of human creativity assisted by state-of-technology digital assistance.
Contractor Liget Budapest Project
Architecture NAPUR Architect - Marcel Ferencz
