Past questions - Future Answers

Budapest, Kossuth square urban space design competition

Abstract

The development of cities has always involved a special dual role for the central square: whether it be the Greek agora or the central square around the town hall in medieval towns. It serves as a center of city governance, which explains its representative nature; at the same time, it is also a place for community life and meetings. Every urban square change over time in terms of its design and mental significance. Historical changes, city management intentions, development needs, and political decisions all leave their marks on them. They acquire new functions, their structures and surrounding built environment change, and their open-space architectural design evolves as well. Developments and changes particularly impact main squares. Since the construction of the Parliament, the former Tömő Square has housed the building that serves as the main state administration body of Hungary. Therefore, it also fulfills the role of the country's main square. The changes characteristic of squares in the development of Budapest have particularly affected this space. In the first part of my study, I will provide a brief historical overview to examine the fundamental conceptual and spatial organizational issues that arose in relation to the square between 1883 and 1927. In the second part, I will explore the contemporary responses to these historical issues in the plans submitted for the architectural competition held in May 2007, as well as the attitudes of today's designers towards the historical context.