MOL Campus, Ethnographic Museum and House of Music Hungary dazzle the world

FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence 2024: Hungarian real estate developments among the best in the world


With three gold and one silver medal, Hungarian real estate developments were once again among the best in the world at this year's FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence International Real Estate Development Excellence Awards, announced László Gönczi, Vice-Chairman of the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence Committee and President of the Hungarian Chapter of FIABCI, at a joint press conference of FIABCI, MOL Hungary and the Liget Budapest Project at the Museum of Ethnography on Wednesday. At the awards ceremony in Singapore, MOL Campus won two first prizes: the Gold Medal in the Office Building category and the Gold Medal in the Green Building category, making it the best office building in the world. In the public buildings category, the jury selected the Museum of Ethnography as the best public building in the world, and the Hungarian House of Music also received an award. In the history of the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence, 37 countries have won gold or silver medals, with Hungary having the most medals in Europe and the fourth most in the world. In this year's competition, Hungary was the second country after Malaysia to leave Singapore with the most awards at the exclusive awards gala.

Founded in 1951 and active in more than 60 countries, FIABCI, the International Real Estate Federation, based in Paris, organises the annual FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence (www.fiabciprix.com), which aims to select and recognise the most successful real estate developments. The FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence, launched 32 years ago, is the world's most prestigious real estate development competition, with successful developers from 37 countries on five continents. This year's international jury was made up of 66 eminent professionals from 31 countries, each representing a specific sector of the property development industry.

Regő Lánszki, State Secretary for Architecture, National Chief Architect, said: "As State Secretary for Architecture, it was a special experience to be present at these Hungarian successes. It is similar to the experience of winning an Olympic title when the whole world recognises Hungarian achievements. It was good to see that the biggest developers from Latin America to China, from Saudi Arabia, from Europe to the United States came to congratulate us. It turned out to be the right decision to choose the path of development, to put the Városliget in order and not to listen to those who said that it should be neglected. It showed that Hungarian developers are world-class, capable of quality, and it confirmed the direction set by the Hungarian Architecture Act, which was decided by a broad professional consensus". - For a building project to be successful, many factors need to be taken into account. First and foremost, there must be harmonious cooperation between designers, investors and contractors, which we support with a new legislative environment and a forward-looking approach that emphasises cooperation rather than the omnipotence of rules.

In addition to the awards ceremony, the FIABCI Congress is also a very important conference where we spent three days discussing the challenges and solutions of the future. The new Hungarian model, which is included in the new Hungarian Architecture Act and which I had the opportunity to present at the opening lecture of the conference, in the company of the Singaporean Minister for Development, the head of construction of the new Indonesian capital and the Director of Government Development of Saudi Arabia, has won international recognition for buildings like ours. This direction is based on respecting Hungarian architectural traditions, preserving our existing values and creating iconic buildings instead of the featureless phalansteries of "The Tragedy of Man", while prioritising sustainability and livability.

László Gönczi, Vice-Chairman of the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence Committee and President of the Hungarian Chapter of FIABCI, said: "The MOL Campus won first prize in the office building and environmental categories. The first prize in the public category went to the Ethnographic Museum. The Hungarian House of Music won the second prize in the public category. Commenting on the main criteria of the judging, the President said that the concept and result of the real estate development, the architectural and urban design quality, the quality of the construction and the duration of the realisation were examined. In addition, the effectiveness of sales and rentals, environmental aspects and the social benefits of the development will be assessed. The President pointed out that over the last 25 years Hungarian developers have won 34 first and 37 second prizes in the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence in various categories, ahead of all European countries.

Speaking about the history of the award, László Gönczi said that, recognising the importance of the competition, first Brazil and Malaysia and then Hungary launched their own national awards for excellence in real estate development with the aim of having the winners represent their countries in the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence competition. Today, more than 20 countries organise their own national competitions for similar reasons. In keeping with tradition, this year the winners of the XXV Hungarian Real Estate Development Excellence Awards, organised by the Hungarian Section of the FIABCI, took part in the international competition. Hungarian developers continued the success of previous years, winning three first prizes and one second prize in this year's competition. The international jury appreciated the outstanding technical quality of the new facilities, the use of environmentally friendly technologies and recognised the social benefits of the facilities," he added.

The Hungarian Chapter of FIABCI has already announced the XXVI Hungarian Real Estate Development Award Competition. We hope that the winners of this year's competition will be successful again in the FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence 2025. In recognition of the Hungarian successes, the FIABCI Board has decided to hold a Board meeting in Budapest this September, together with a trade mission to present the achievements and investment opportunities of real estate development in Hungary.

The success of MOL Campus:

MOL's people-centred, sustainable office building took first place in both categories in which it was nominated. The FIABCI World Prix d'Excellence award means that MOL Campus was ranked first among office buildings completed worldwide last year, and the 143-metre emblematic building that defines the cityscape of South Buda was also ranked best in the world for its sustainable solutions.

"We wanted to build a corporate headquarters that would represent MOL's forward-looking approach, its commitment to sustainability and its strategic role in the region's economy. Equally important, the building had to create a sense of well-being and a harmonious working environment for our employees. We worked with a number of smart solutions to keep the carbon footprint and running costs of the office building low, while providing an outstanding sense of comfort. We have installed 900 square metres of solar panels on the roof of the podium area, we use rainwater in many areas, and our heating and air conditioning system relies on geothermal energy to provide 70% of our total energy needs. We are proud that our people-centred, climate-friendly approach has received international recognition, and that MOL Campus makes the most of its surroundings and is harmoniously linked to both the nearby riverbank and the fastest-growing new district of Budapest," said Péter Varga, Managing Director of MOL Campus Kft.

Finta and Partners Architectural Studio collaborated with the world-renowned Foster&Partners on the design. The studio's concept was based on the idea that the headquarters should contribute to the well-being, optimal working conditions and democratic relations of the employees, while at the same time providing other complementary services that are not only available to the employees. Accordingly, the ground floor of the reinforced concrete, champagne-bottle shaped tower building will provide a range of public services, with office space up to 120 metres from the first floor. The shell and core of the spaces were also designed by the studio, while the interior design was carried out with the support of MinusPlus, based on designs by Kinzo in Berlin. The construction was carried out by Market Építő Zrt., the sustainability solutions by Óbuda Group and the project management by CÉH Zrt. According to Péter Varga, the synergy of the joint work created an added value that can be seen in the standard of the future-oriented office building and its international recognition.

Benedek Gyorgyevics, CEO of Városliget Zrt., responsible for the implementation of the Liget Budapest project: 'It is a great honour that the developments of the Liget Budapest project have won two awards in the prestigious international FIABCI competition. We are proud to say that the House of Ethnography and the House of Hungarian Music are now the two best and most awarded contemporary public buildings in the world. We owe a debt of gratitude to Marcel Ferencz Sou Fujimoto, the designer of the two buildings, and his partners, as well as to all the employees of City Park Ltd, who have created architectural masterpieces of outstanding value, unique in every respect, conceived for the site of the Limmat. They have thus become an integral part of the Hungarian capital's exceptionally rich architectural heritage.

We are delighted that wherever we present the results of the regeneration of the City Park, whether nationally or internationally, the Liget project is seen as a benchmark. The new and renovated cultural institutions have created an unprecedented synergy in one place, in a high density, that simply cannot be reproduced in brownfield sites. Here, the 150-year-old institutions coexist peacefully with the new ones, forming a living system, while nature and the park surround them with recreational and leisure facilities. There is no other place like it in the world, and international urban development fairs, conferences and award ceremonies are held here. This is one of the reasons why our developments have already been visited by more than 8 million people, and why the City Park as a cultural district has become a shining spot on the European cultural and tourist map".

A special music initiation centre and Europe's most modern ethnographic museum

Since its opening in January 2022, the Hungarian House of Music has become one of the most visited cultural institutions in Hungary, with nearly 2 million visitors, making it one of the emblematic venues of the capital's cultural life in an unprecedentedly short period of time. Based on the feedback of performers and audiences, as well as the number of visitors, it is clear that the Hungarian House of Music has successfully entered the cultural life of the capital, not only as a unique architectural work of art, but also through its diverse programme of events. In addition to the excellent visitor numbers, the House has become one of the most photographed buildings in Hungary, with its iconic glass wall and perforated roof featured in countless photos and videos on all social media platforms in Hungary and abroad.

In May 2022, the new building of the Ethnographic Museum, part of the Liget Budapest project, will open its doors with spectacular exhibitions. In addition to interactive exhibitions, the museum features an impressive Ceramics Room with around 4,000 artefacts and the Liget Budapest Visitor Centre with a huge exhibition of Budapest's Golden Age. In the two years since it opened, the museum has had over 500,000 visitors. Its over 7,000 square metre rooftop garden has become one of Budapest's favourite meeting places, hosting everything from school groups on excursions to picnics and proposals, and will soon house a larger proportion of the Museum's collection than ever before in the new permanent exhibition currently under construction.

FREE IMAGES AND VIDEOS OF THE WINNING PROJECTS

PHOTO GALLERY OF THE MOL CAMPUS

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0tyuqtdruv24r55y7yh6m/AEcCoeeCcB1CvLEZ8_FjadA?rlkey=9z0tg3cjawcawdynmtsu3zvyq&e=1&dl=0

VIDEOS OF THE MOL CAMPUSRÓL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwUApW1-aBc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJPXOpYWtoY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_8QJv_1MD0

 

PHOTO GALLERY OF LIGET BUDAPEST DEVELOPMENTS

https://ligetbudapest.hu/sajto/mediatar/intezmenyek/fiabci-2024-press-kit

 

VIDEOS OF LIGET BUDAPEST DEVELOPMENTS

Museum of Etnography: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jvejgD6-6o

House of Music Hungary: https://youtu.be/44PUdZclJDs

 05. 06. 2024. Budapest, FIABCI Hungary, MOL Hungary, Városliget Zrt.

 

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