Budapest Zoo: The Great Rocks On

One doesn’t generally sing the praises of rocks, but when they are “great”, such as the one being renovated at the Budapest zoo, praise is plentiful.  Budapest-based Atelier Peter Kis has been chosen to renovate the historic rock, with big plans for the structure. Built in 1909, the most compelling aspect of the 40-meter boulder is the internal space of almost 40,000 square meters. The renovation will focus mainly on updating this internal space to better accommodate contemporary cultural programs, events, and conferences.

It all began after much consideration in 1909 when engineer Gyula Végh devised a transformation of the zoo. Alongside Károly Kós and Dezső Zrumeczky, a group of young architects planned the buildings, ambitiously createda new standard in zoo environments. Similar to their natural surroundings, the resulting construstion consisted of two artificial rocks, originally ambiguously named “Hill A” and “Hill B.”  Hill A was designed to replicate a Dolomitian peak covering over 4,500 square meters. The rock is supported internally by a reinforced concrete frame, which allows for a truly massive internal space.

Construction took 3 years and the labour of over 200 workers. The designers faced a multitude of problems: drainage from the snow that covered the rock in winter, the inevitable spring rains, and of course, the natural habits of animals to scrap and scratch at their surroundings. The internal space of the rock was open for about 80 years, surviving damage from WW II, pollution, erosion, and human usage. In this time the Great Rock housed, at various points, an ice-skating rink, lion’s den, a theatre, and a pony riding ménage.  In the early 21st century serious structural problems could no longer be ignored, and the rock was closed to consider the renovation process and turned into a storage space.

The Budapest Zoo has undergone an extensive rebirth, with the natural order and co-habitation of plants an animals being carefully considered within a concept of “ecological display.” But the real action will take place inside the Great Rock. There are plans to create a modern lecture theatre and make use of the latest zoo technology, creating a space like no other in Central-Europe. Projected date of completion: 2012.

At White Line Hotels edit Lánchíd 19 experience both the new and the old of Budapest and go to sleep overlooking some of the worlds most beautiful (and UNESCO protected) sights.

All images courtesy of Atelier Peter Kis: www.plant.co.hu

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Categories: Budapest, Architecture, Design

Contributing writer: Alicia Reuter

Art After the Fall of the Iron Curtain

Book your flights and pack a sweater! The Budapest Art Fair is taking place from the 25th to the 28th of November, and will give visitors a chance to see some of Central and Eastern Europe’s top galleries.  Over 60 galleries, half of which are Hungarian, will be exhibition at the fair newly dubbed “Heroes Square.”

Heroes Square, which has decided to make a work by Sergey Maximishin showing Prime Minister Putin sitting sternly at a desk, one of its predominant advertising images, is a thought provoking name for the event. However, it is also the name of one of the main venues – the Belle Epoque Mücsarnok (Art Hall) on Ghősök Tere (Heroes’ Square), at the far end of Andrassy Avenue, the so-called ‘Champs-Elysées of Central Europe.’ The event aims to fill the void left between Western European art fairs and Asian fairs, and the range of countries represented is broad, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine and, from the West, France, Switzerland and the USA will all find a place at the event.  The fair itself is purely contemporary, showing work from the last 75 years, in all mediums from photography to sculpture. The goal is to provide insight into art movements “since the fall of the Iron Curtain.” An accompanying exhibition, “Rodchenko and His Contemporaries” will provide insight on the influences and inspirations of the Eastern European artists showing at Square.

More information and Lánchíd 19 rates via the Budapest Art Fair website: www.budapestartfair.hu

Image Credits:

RussianTeaRoom Gallery: Sergey Maximishin – Putin – 2003

Rigas Gallery: Ritums Ivanovs – Madonna On Stage – 2010

Grinberg Alexander The Art of Movement Vera Maya’s Studio. Moscow, 1928

White Line member hotel Lánchíd 19 is the Official Hotel Partner for the fair, and is offering preferential rates to guests staying during the event.  We say go for the Panoramic Suite, you won’t regret it! Guests of the hotel at the time of the fair will also receive an entrance ticket, and don’t forget that they’ve extended the à la carte discount of 30% in the restaurant for guests staying 2 nights or more.

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Categories: Budapest, Art

Contributing writer: Alicia Reuter

Design Week Budapest and Lanchid 19

The 7th Budapest Design Week kicks off today.

White Line member hotel, Lanchid 19, will be participating in the festivities by putting on an interactive light show on its facade, developed by Kitchen Budapest.

Anyone can hack the facade and create their own illuminations by checking out this site http://mff.kibu.hu from 19:00 CET.

Here’s a taster of what to expect – a snippet of facade illuminations from the recent Media Facades Festival:

Walk on Water

The therapeutic qualities of water is something that we only really appreciate when we’re by it’s side… or when you’re swimming, or having a shower, or drinking it, or gardening, or keeping fish as pets…Ok, water is undoubtedly fantastic.

When you read celebrity interviews (the real ones, not the reality stars who want big rims and big breasts) they dream about waterfront properties, fresh and relaxing lifestyles. The dream isn’t floating to far away from us hard working people. Seas, rivers, lakes are prime land; they portray a lifestyle and are vital for the best views. We’ve got all look-out points covered. Read the rest of this entry »

Sziget Festival. Peace, Love, and Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden, Muse, and Kasabian: metal, Twilight teeny-bobber rock, and indie.  It’s an interesting mix, but it’s part of what attracts over 400,000 visitors to Sziget, one of Europe’s top musical festivals every summer.  Budapest will play host to the bands and the hoards that will come to see their favourite rockers from August 11 – 16th.

While the line up is fairly mainstream, and more focused on rock and metal, there are some surprises.  It will be a event rich with the opportunity to experience names new to many, such as the Belarusian ska-punk group Lyapia Trubetskoy.

The festival is taking place in the city centre, on the Sziget Island.  Festival promoters describe the island as “the island of friendship, the island of love, the island of joyful self-abandon, the island of freedom, the island of cultural diversity. That said, it’s worth keeping in mind this is also the island where the beer is cheap, the girls and boys are beautiful…” While this may sound more like Woodstock, then a contemporary rock fest, it does give a laid back and open direction to the event.

In addition to the aforementioned bands, there will be a truly interesting mix of electronic, punk, and rap. From Faithless, to Gwar, to K.I.Z. the festival promises to be a visual and acoustic orgy, as some massively expansive stage sets and booming systems are planned.  Whatever your preference, you’re sure to find a taste.

Live like a rock star (just please don’t trash the room) at White Line’s Lánchíd 19.  You might just run into a few familiar faces at the bar…

More information, schedules and tickets for Sziget can be found at www.sziget.hu.

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Categories: Budapest, Culture, Events

Contributing writer: Alicia Reuter