CNN: Buildings that will shape Budapest’s look in the future

The architecture of Budapest is not only rich in different styles but magnificent and beautiful as well. A big part of the capital city got is form and buildings in the 19th century when major developments transformed Budapest into Hungary’s biggest city.

Unfortunately, Budapest skyline largely remained the same after these developments and the historical events of the 20th century (World War II, Revolution and uprising in 1956 and the Socialist era).

“It has been brought up that the changing systems cannot be seen architecturally in the city. This means that certain iconic contemporary buildings are missing.” – said Andor Wesselényi-Garay, an architect and professor at Budapest Metropolitan University.

Over the past few years, Budapest’s architecture to take on a new lease of life and beautiful new buildings started to grow in the Hungarian capital city. Luckily, a huge number of different kind of architectural projects are currently under construction.

CNN collected seven new and upcoming structures that will transform the city in the coming years.

MOL Tower

Budapest is a city without skyscrapers, and the Hungarian government even banned buildings over 90 metres. Although they still made an exception, which is the 120 metres high MOL Tower on the south side of the city. The tower will include indoor greenery, with trees planted in the atrium on the ground floor, sky gardens on every floor, and a public garden on the building’s roof. It will act as a business space for the Hungarian oil and gas company, the MOL Group. It is estimated to be ready by 2021.

Central European University

CEU announced not so long ago that they move to Vienna as the Hungarian government refused to sign the agreement in favour of keeping the university in Budapest. This is a topic everyone is talking about. A lesser-known topic might be that the building of the Central European University has been named one of the four finalists for the prestigious RIBA International Prize.

The Museum of Ethnography

Budapest’s most anticipated project is the Museum of Ethnography in the City Park. With a grass-covered roof that slopes into the ground, the building is meant to illustrate the harmony between urban and natural landscapes. The museum is estimated to be opened in 2020 and it is planned to operate as a community space as well.