Corvin Promenade is a prominent and exemplary urban regeneration project in the center of Budapest. As one of the largest-scale urban interventions of the last decade, the task was to redefine a twenty-two-acre site after the entire demolition of the former decrepit old blocks. The design proposed an alteration of slab blocks and green roofed topographical houses.

In the spring of 2005, the Harvard Graduate School of Design in Boston and the BME DLA Postgraduate Doctoral School’s students in Budapest simultaneously dealt with the architectural design of the area. Our first prize winning project’s goal was to establish an urban eco-net, a green net, to display a piece of landscape in the city, which has the capability of becoming self-sustaining. At the same time, the design considered it fundamental to maintain the typology of the blocks of the city center, preserving the character of the neighborhood, ensuring continuity and context. Therefore the proposal brings together slab houses of a „conventional architecture” and a completely modern and up-to-date design in the areas emerging between them. The topographical masses, with their soft design represent a characteristically different form. Their walkable green-roofs and the park-like gardens create interesting landscape architectural formations and compensate for the lack of green in the city center. The roof terraces, ramps and green slopes can be used as pubic areas or private interior gardens for the residents. Underneath offices, shops, cinemas, parking places or even apartments can be built, while in the other building type dominantly flats are designed, with a reinterpretation of the typical architecture of the environment.

Phase: invited competition

Year: 2005

Gfa: 35 000 sqm

Collaboration: Harvard Graduate School of Design (Boston, US)