SANAA selected ahead of snøhetta to build new national gallery of hungary

in april 2015, it was announced that snøhetta and SANAA had tied for first place in a competition to design the new national gallery of hungary. it has now been revealed that the proposal from SANAA will be constructed in budapest’s vársoliget city park, as part of a large cultural masterplan that involves the development of five new museum buildings. the museum will be joined by a design from fellow japanese architect sou fujimoto, who will complete the site’s ‘house of hungarian music’.

the museum building will be constructed within budapest’s city park
image © SANAA / liget budapest (also main image)

the project is currently the largest on-going museum initiative in the world. the development and renovations will entirely renew the city park area of budapest, with the ‘new national gallery’ standing as the site’s cultural centerpiece.

‘the aim of the restricted competition, in which star architects were also invited to participate, was to provide a home for the budapest new national gallery in a modern, contemporary building of outstanding architectural value that meets 21st-century requirements and is worthy both for the city park and for one of the most important public collections of hungary,’ said lászló baán, the ministerial commissioner of the liget budapest project.

the museum is set to open in summer 2019
image © SANAA / liget budapest

comprised of both european and hungarian arts and objects, the venue will be a leading location for the development of the country’s national identity, tourist economy, as well as a place to learn and appreciate world art. renovations and developments started at the site last year, with SANAA’s ‘national gallery of hungary’ set to open in summer 2019.

snøhetta’s proposed design finished runner-up
image © snøhetta / liget budapest