Excerpt from the competition design brief
We envision the Hungarian Natural History Museum as a unique ecotone – an interface between the built and natural environments. Neither entirely artificial nor purely natural, the museum seamlessly integrates with its surroundings. Charred timber panels emerge from the ground, forming gentle curves that extend from the forest, blurring the boundary between architecture and wilderness. A living roof, teeming with native plants, attracts pollinators and provides a haven for urban wildlife, enriching local biodiversity. Sculpted as a man made hill on the Great Plain, the museum offers uninterrupted views over treetops and rooftops, creating a dynamic, immersive natural experience within Debrecen’s public realm—a gift to the city and its citizens.
Three pragmatic programmatic ribbons radiate outward, intertwining the building with the natural landscape,
overlapping at the center to foster connectivity. Positioned strategically, they adapt to the surroundings, offering
access from all directions—neighborhood, forest, transportation hub and culture park—ensuring seamless integration with the surrounding.
Exhibition spaces, event facilities, office and workshops all converge in a vibrant public center, promoting social
encounters and blurring the boundaries between the different functions and user groups. Following the
hill-shaped building section, the exhibitions spaces offer variable ceiling heights, flexible to house diverse
curations from large scale artefacts to immersive audiovisual experiences. The interior and exterior spaces are
closely connected, allowing the exhibitions to extend into the landscape and offering views to the surrounding
forest from transitional spaces, providing moments of calm between immersive experiences. The two
landscape pockets facing the urban context and primary arrival in the south, form an inviting entrance plaza and
functional logistics yard respectively, while those facing the forest integrate exhibitions with nature, deepening the
connection between visitors and environment.
While recognizing that the museum construction will have an environmental impact, the design is guided by
a deep commitment to responsible conservation with a goal to leave the site in better condition than we found
it. What is removed, will be restored, with even greater value—for both people and nature. The museum’s
structure, made from mass timber with a facade of locally sourced charred wood significantly reduces embodied
carbon. Thoughtfully integrated into the landscape, the semi-buried design leverages the earth’s thermal mass
as well as the landscaped roof to maintain a stable indoor climate, reducing heating and cooling demands.
Renewable energy systems, including a geothermal loop for heating and cooling and photo-voltaic panels
for electricity generation, will meet the remaining energy needs, ensuring a low-carbon footprint and long-term
sustainability.
Ecotone:
‘‘a transitional area between two ecosystems or ecological communities. Ecotones can be natural or man-made, and can occur at many scales.’’
