Sou Fujimoto receives recognition for harmonious design

The House of Hungarian Music in Budapest has won the Best Use of Music in Property Development/Real Estate category at the Music Cities Awards, a global competition set up to acknowledge outstanding applications of music for economic, cultural, social and environmental development. The building, designed by Sou Fujimoto, is under construction as one of the institutions that will form part of Europe’s largest cultural development, the Budapest Liget project. The 100-acre City Park is undergoing a complete refurbishment, with existing structures renewed alongside the creation of new buildings. Budapest Liget has already won several awards, including the 2017 Best Futura Mega Project category at MIPIM.

With an eye to the surrounding Liget Project, Sou Fujimoto created an almost completely translucent, eco-friendly structure to encourage a harmonious transition between the House and the natural environment of the park. He stated: "The Liget Budapest Project is an exceptional development and can serve as an example for future city developers, as it achieves an exceptional harmony between green and built environments."

According to Fujimoto, one of the dreams of every architect is to design a modern museum, and his concept follows a contemporary approach which includes a classical exhibition space together with additional functions, such as facilities for performance and education. The House is intended to fill the gap between the amount of music created in Hungary by composers and performers including Liszt and Bartók, and the lack of an institution that places its development within an international context. A permanent display will present the history of music, while the building will also house concert halls, an outdoor stage, and areas for music tuition.

Luke Jones, Director of Music Cities Events, said: “During the evaluation, it was very convincing that behind the spectacular look of the house, the musical content is very thoughtful: the function of the building in the three divisions - museum, performing arts, education - is also well separated in space. With its unparalleled design and architectural and technical solutions for sustainable development, the building will be a worthy location for its visitors."

The House of Music is scheduled to open in 2021.

Lucy Nordberg
TenderStream Head of Research

This competiton was first published by TenderStream on 07.03.2014 here

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