Photos: This is what the new Hungarian Transport Museum will look like
Hungarian cities carry not only a rich history but also a contemporary message expressed through the language of architecture, said the State Secretary for Architecture at the Ministry of Construction and Transport (ÉKM) on Friday in Debrecen, during the award ceremony for the architectural design competition of the new Transport Museum.
Creators of future
Regő Lánszki, the national chief architect, added that unveiling the results of the museum’s architectural competition also celebrates a fresh national urban development vision—one that breaks away from the reflex that all major institutions must be located in Budapest.
They are celebrating an approach “that finally sees the country as a whole, not in terms of a centre versus periphery divide, but as a connected network of cities,” the secretary emphasised according to the Hungarian News Agency.
He explained this concept is not a local exception but a nationwide shift. It recognises that regional cities are not just guardians of their past but creators of their future, and alongside preservation, there is a need for bold new urban symbols and iconic buildings.
New Hungarian Transport Museum near Debrecen
The invited architectural competition for the Hungarian Transport Museum, which will be built in Debrecen, was won by the design submitted by DAW ÉpÃtész Stúdió Kft., announced at the ceremony.
Regarding the winning design, RegÅ‘ Lánszki commented that the building will be “at once contemporary and restrained, capable of being modern without alienating, continuing the landscape rather than overshadowing it, (…) creating a new emblem that blends into its surroundings while remaining recognisable from afar, and not merely a museum, but the first visible statement of this new national mindset.”
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“This building will not only become a new symbol for Debrecen but will also serve as the opening statement of this new national outlook,” he said, noting that this message will resonate beyond Budapest—in Bratislava (Pozsony), Târgu MureÈ™ (Marosvásárhely), Bucharest, Warsaw, Copenhagen, and Athens.
Lánszki pointed out that the Hungarian Technical and Transport Museum—along with the Natural Science Museum—will not be local institutions, but attractions drawing both Hungarians and international visitors to spend days in Debrecen.
Debrecen one of Hungary’s most important economic engines
László Papp (Fidesz-KDNP), Mayor of Debrecen, recalled that thanks to developments over recent years, the city has become one of Hungary’s most important economic engines and a centre of national economic significance. He added, “Every era of significant economic growth in a city inevitably brings about its sweeping development; here in Debrecen, we are now entering this phase of growth.”
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In the coming years and decades, Debrecen will expand with museums, concert halls, and new public institutions, focusing on developments of a scale that will shape the city’s character and role for the long term, the mayor emphasised.
Papp László also highlighted the historic significance of Debrecen hosting the Hungarian Natural Science Museum and the immense importance of the new home for the Hungarian Transport Museum being built in one of the city’s major, distinctly new innovation hubs.
“This is where one of the city’s most important future districts is taking shape: the automotive industry innovation centre, which builds on the BMW factory’s innovation ecosystem. This district will link new technologies, R&D, education, and transport thematically—together with the museum forming a modern, creative, and liveable system,” the city leader added.
DAW ÉpÃtész Stúdió won
Domonkos Schneller, Director General of the Hungarian Technical and Transport Museum, said at the award ceremony that a good museum building must meet conservation, visitor experience, operational, and environmental standards all at once. “It should convey its function just by its exterior, and give visual character to its surroundings,” he explained.
He added that the architects who submitted entries to the competition embraced this multifaceted challenge to present how the new home for the transport museum in Debrecen should look. The director expressed confidence that the jury selected the proposal most feasible to realise.
In the competition’s first phase, ten entries participated, followed by nine in the second phase. The first prize was awarded to DAW ÉpÃtész Stúdió Ltd’s design. Second place went to a joint submission by Archiko Kft., GAV-Art Stúdió Ltd, and T1 Studio Ltd, while third place was claimed by the collaboration between Zaha Hadid Architects and Finta Studio.