Budapest, Hungary is a historic center of music in Europe for both classical music repertoire and Hungarian folk traditions. Despite the country’s contributions to the history of music, it doesn’t have a center that provides a comprehensive overview of its legacy. As part of the Liget Budapest Project, Europe’s largest and most ambitious Cultural Development, the House of Music became a contemporary cultural landmark dedicated to music in Budapest. 

Designed by renowned Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, the House of Music opened to the public in January 2022, providing a unique artistic experience that combines landscape, architecture, and exhibition design. Visitors can expect to gain new perspectives on music making and its impact on people’s lives. 

The House of Music aims to bring the experience of music to life through the interaction of nature, sound, and light. Apart from hosting a range of live music, the House will also host exhibitions, education, and learning programs that can help create opportunities for anyone to play and experience music. 

“Music making is at the heart of the human experience. The House is a one-of-a-kind institution created to introduce the beauty of sound and music, alongside the important role it plays in every aspect of our life.”

András Batta, Managing Director of the House of Music and former President of Liszt Academy.

The “synergy between sound and nature” have inspired the designers and presented the building as a continuation of its park context and an ambitious rethinking of a 21st-century museum space. To achieve this, a curtain of glass paneled the House’s facade to create a completely translucent building that blurs boundaries between indoor and outdoor space. 

Another highlight of the building’s design is its unique roof structure, which is also inspired by the varying form of sound waves. The rippling roof structure changes depth and remains below the City Park’s foliage. The roof consists of about 100 unique, crater-like holes on the surface. These holes allow the trees to slip through while channeling light into the depths of the building. They light the interiors and create a special atmosphere, giving visitors the illusion of walking under the trees. 

“We were enchanted by the multitude of trees in the City Park and inspired by the space created by them. While the thick and rich canopy covers and protects its surroundings, it also allows the sun’s rays to reach the ground. I envisaged the open floor plan, where boundaries between inside and outside blur, as a continuation of the natural environment.”

Sou Fujimoto, principal architect

Explore how House of Music shapes the past, present and future stories of one’s culture through its Architecture. Download your copy now! Click on the link for BluPrint Vol. 2 2022: THE ART OF MAKING.

Photos courtesy of Ed Simon

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