Hype&Hyper

Take a seat | Street furniture shaping everyday life

Benches, litter bins, bicycle stands and all kinds of shelters—pieces of furniture we pass by every day yet don’t pay enough attention to. Street furniture shapes our urban experiences, habits and overall well-being on an unconscious level. It invites us to connect, take some time for ourselves, and

architecture

Have you seen it? Here is the Budapest anti-city guide booklet!

Tourist attractions featured in guidebooks are almost without exception “wonderful,” “unique,” and often come even with a “Don’t miss it for the world!” notice. But what happens when we want to be tourists on our own home streets, and to top it all, less conventionally—without bias and without

lifestyle

Working together for the city | The Bulgarian Team Sofia

Team Sofia is an association of experts, citizens, and organizations committed to the future of Sofia. They spoke about projects, plans, and challenges in their presentation at the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre in Budapest. “We believe that our city needs to start to be governed in a new way, and

lifestyle

Green cities reaching for the sky: are vertical gardens the future? | TOP 5

In Western Europe, the rudimentary implementation of vertical gardens and farms was already started in the twentieth century, but only traces of this can be found in the East. Today we are building upwards, but can we farm in this direction? Vertical farming works indoors, on several levels, moving upwards,

urbanism

Felfelé zöldülő városok: a vertikális kerteké a jövő? | TOP 5

Nyugat-Európában már a huszadik században belevágtak a függőleges kertek és farmok kezdetleges megvalósításába, azonban mindez a keleti térségben még csak nyomokban fedezhető fel. Manapság felfelé építkezünk, de vajon gazdálkodni is tudunk ebbe az irányba? A vertikális gazdálkodás beltérben működik, több szinten, felfelé haladva, kihasználva a belmagasság előnyeit. Ezekben a többszintes

sustainability

The 15-minute city is not a magic wand – interview with Dr. Carlos Moreno

Would you like to live in a city where everything is in close proximity? We live in hectic cities and have to travel and commute a lot to get our basic needs. The concept of a „15-minute city” is about to change this and revolutionize urbanism in the 21st century.

poland

Csokoládédarabokra emlékeztetnek a hangulatos lengyel cukrászda padlójának csempéi

Bár az újhullámos gasztroforradalom az édességfogyasztási szokásainkra is befolyásolta, az ínycsiklandozó tortákat, finom aprósüteményeket és különböző fajta desszerteket áruló klasszikus cukrászdák sosem mennek ki a divatból. Igaz, ezen a területen is komoly verseny folyik; a modern, mindenmentes finomságokat áruló üzletek mellett néha szeretünk beülni egy régi tradíciókat és hagyományokat őrző

architecture

The innovation of a Polish startup creates calm office atmosphere

There are many stressful situations an average 21st-century employee must face every day, such as deadlines, quick meetings, ad hoc tasks, overtime and corporate hierarchy, just to name a few. In our fast-paced world, these challenges might seem impossible to face. Luckily, our focus today shifts more and more to

design

Cruise the city in style with this bike brand | Festka

The outstanding design talent of the Czechs is evident in so many areas that it’s no surprise to find alternatives to one of the 21st century’s trendiest forms of transport: handmade, unique bikes from Festka, a stylish companion for everyday life. We asked the brand’s founder Michael

community

Relaxing on the rocking waves of the river—event boats in Eastern Europe | TOP 5

Sparkling sunshine, cooling breeze, and rocking waves: this idyllic setting is perfect for sipping a cocktail or enjoying your favorite dishes if you decide to try something new and venture out on the water instead of the usual downtown setting. Of course, we do all this figuratively, as the most

business

CPK the hub – Creating the new CEE

Airports and transport hubs—and their names—are inseparably connected to the metropolises where they are located. If in New York—you’ll land at JFK, if in London—it’s at Heathrow, and in Dubai—Dubai International Airport will be where your plane lands on the tarmac. In Dubai,

architecture

Don’t keep off the grass!—The new Bástya Park in downtown Budapest

When designing a public space, it is important that the outcome is not only a representative place, where we can rest while taking in the environment around us, but also that it activates and engages the citizens. The new Bástya Park in downtown Budapest certainly has some spectacular features, with

architecture

The contemporary architecture of Budapest in a book, as you’ve never seen it before!

We may not even think about how many and various buildings have “sprung up” in Budapest in the last twenty years. Especially if we broaden the concept of contemporary architecture, as the authors and editors of “Budapest Architecture 2000-2020” themselves do: they show us the exciting changes the capital has

architecture

Girls, scan the city fabric! | Tripping on Modernist Monuments

“Scan it, because it may not be here tomorrow.” This sentence was said among the members of girlscanscan collective last winter. Affected by the demolitions of Hungarian modernist buildings, the girls started wondering how the 90s children were influenced by the heritage of the 20th century. Is it possible to

architecture

A harmonious connection of man and nature: the Belgrade LINKpark project

Increasing green areas is necessary in all major cities in Eastern Europe, but the rehabilitation of old, neglected public parks is also a major challenge for the city management. They strive to help breaking free from the infinite concrete jungle by increasing the number of trees and preserving vegetation, so

architecture

Exciting graphics, stunning interiors—cafés from the region with a stylish identity | TOP 5

Dazzling sunshine, freshly baked pastries, specialty coffee with a delicious smell and, of course, a pleasant terrace on a cozy street in the city center—you would think that all the conditions are in place to open the perfect café! However, in addition to the quality of the coffee, it

poland

Izgalmas grafikák, lenyűgöző enteriőr – kávézók a régióból stílusos arculattal | TOP 5

Ragyogó napsütés, frissen sült péksütemények, ínycsiklandozó illatú specialty kávé és persze egy kellemes terasz a belváros egyik hangulatos utcájában – azt gondolhatnánk, minden feltétel adott a tökéletes kávézó megnyitásához! Ám a kávé minősége mellett érdemes hangsúlyt fektetni a legapróbb részletekre is! Egy érdekes vizuális megoldásokat felvonultató logó, egy különleges enteriőr vagy

architecture

The embrace of nature—Fabulous public parks in the region | TOP 5

Beyond all doubt, the best months are now to come. The sun is warming our faces with its golden rays once again, the branches of the trees are full of fresh buds and colorful flowers are sprouting from the green grass. It’s time to spend as much time as

community

The context in design: from the city to the object and back

The following article is based on an excerpt of a conference lecture planned for a scientific event in New York, co-authored by architect Petra Probstner and Géza Kulcsár. Their aim is to reveal both the often hidden principles behind design processes and the tensions that may arise between site- and

architecture

Love your neighbors—old message and new look for one of the most popular street arts of Budapest

According to Banksy, “Graffiti is one of the few tools you have if you have almost nothing.” In a crisis like war, when we’re powerless and vulnerable, there are moments when art is the only way to reduce the overwhelming pressure of events. It is no coincidence that, following

architecture

A popular Polish comics' characters come to life on this special playground!

Looking at the little ones running around in the playgrounds, we often wonder how nice it was to try the slides that looked steep at the time, or to sit on the swings that almost flew us to the sky. Although our dimensions do not necessarily allow us to use

tech

The Hungarian faces of the e-scooter revolution | Rollin Technologies

What Tesla or BMW have done in the electric car industry; Rollin Technologies has started in electric micro-mobility. Here is our portrait and interview with the Hungarian pioneers of the e-scooter revolution who can rewrite our modern urban landscape. What Tesla or BMW have done in the electric car industry;

architecture

Paris is building an urban cable car line

The city’s first cable car line will be 4.5 km long and connect several suburban sections to the south-eastern part of the city’s metro network. Câble 1 will connect the Villeneuve-Saint-Georges suburban area with the Créteil Pointe du Lac metro station. Five stops will be built and

architecture

Breathtaking school buildings in the region | TOP 5

Functionality is undoubtedly the most important factor in the case of an educational building. Of course, this does not mean that the boringly familiar places in every educational institution, such as the canteen, the classroom or even the corridors, cannot get an exciting look. Professional design offices create schools that

architecture

Gorgeous bus stations in Eastern Europe | TOP 5

Everyone is aware of the benefits of public transport: it is environmentally friendly, ideally fast, and well-built, making it easy and practical to use. Thanks to the positive qualities listed above, millions of people get on a bus or tram every day. However, fewer of us realize that if we

architecture

Get ready! Budapest Architecture Film Festival is around the corner

“Do you live in a building? Do you love the cinema? Cross borders, look around the world, get inspired and take action!” says the invitation of the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre (KÉK). The 14th architecture-themed film festival will take place March 3-6 at the Toldi Cinema. The festival’s mission

design

Shaping cities with the participation of its dwellers—Interview with Danny Dong-Yeong Lee

Over the past years with all the digital innovations that have occurred, there has been a feeling that our physical location isn’t as significant as it used to be. Nowadays, we’re experiencing the opposite, realizing just how much our space and location matter. We talked to Dr. Danny

architecture

The most stylish loft apartments in the region | TOP 5

Any big city you head to is sure to be met with aesthetically unpleasing, abandoned factory buildings that spoil the cityscape. The redevelopment of areas declared as rust belts pose a number of problems, so the plant halls that were once used for industrial purposes will remain empty for many

design

A régió legstílusosabb loft lakásai | TOP 5

Bármelyik nagyvárosba visz az utunk, biztosan találkozunk a városképet rontó, esztétikusnak nem mondható, elhagyatott gyárépületekkel. A rozsdaövezetnek nyilvánított területek újragondolása számos problémát felvet, ezért akár hosszú évekig is üresen állnak az egykor ipari célokra használt üzemcsarnokok. Pedig egyre többen keresik a régi gyárakból kialakított izgalmas loft lakásokat. Mai válogatásunkban ezekből

architecture

Does Budapest have what it takes to become a 15-minute city?—Tools for creating a liveable city

The urbanistic trend of liveable cities is once again gaining momentum among experts. But what makes a city liveable? More green spaces and recreational options? Less time spent commuting? Necessary institutions and services at your fingertips? Different solutions can be found around the world and Budapest is right there with

tech

A volcano could power the world's first bitcoin city

The President of El Salvador has announced plans to build a 7,466-hectare “bitcoin city” in the southeast of the country, with the help of FR-EE architect Fernando Romero. They want to build the metropolis at the base of the Conchagua volcano, as a perfect circle like a coin, with

hype lab

The development of zero-energy cities can be achieved with current technologies | We talked to climate scientist Diána Ürge-Vorsatz

Material consumption is no longer in fashion, traveling by air has become outdated, while the traditional urban planning method of people living afar commuting to city centers has also become out of date. We talked to climate scientist Diána Ürge-Vorsatz about climate protection, and the interaction between the individual and

architecture

Ultramodern railway station in Vilnius designed by Zaha Hadid Architects

Environmentally friendly public spaces and transport infrastructure are mixed in the winning design by Zaha Hadid Architects. As part of the Rail Baltica program, Zaha Hadid Architects designed a train station in a new Baltic country, after Tallinn. One of its most exciting features is a new bridge with cycle

architecture

Innovative utilization of vacant buildings in Budapest

Many exciting examples were born of the creative, community-focused utilization of deserted buildings which seem to multiply by the day in the Hungarian capital, too. In spite of all the great initiatives, however, no effectively operating schemes have been established so far to give sufficient motivation to those concerned. But

architecture

The potentials of Czech villages | Book review

The recently released publication titled Možnosti vesnice (Village Potentials) offers an urbanistic portrait of twelve Czech villages. It is an alternative travel book for architecture fans and curious explorers, while it could also offer inspiration to architects, mayors and other countries in the region, by shifting the spotlight from big

east

Metaurbanism in practice | The projects of Urbanum

Since their launch in October last year, Urbanum’s team has not only organized events and sparked discussions in the spirit of metaurbanism, the interdisciplinary urban research approach represented by them. Their three-fold motto—theoria, praxis, imaginatio, that is theory, practice and imagination—is not only about concept formation and

architecture

Wonderful housing estates | TOP 5

Housing estates usually come to mind as unfriendly, dirty, gray concrete jungles; the mass housing construction of the socialist era completely degraded the concept. In our selection today, we would like to dispel these prejudices with five well-functioning, comprehensively designed and aesthetically exciting housing estates in Eastern Europe. “Working together,

architecture

Exploring urban futures | gestalten X SPACE10

Research and design lab SPACE10 and publishing house gestalten have teamed up to gather world-leading architects, designers, researchers, entrepreneurs and city planners to a single platform: as a result, the book The Ideal City has been published, focusing on the city of the future. Let’s see the details! What

east

The Urban Metabolism | URBANUM

Various streams of material goods, energy, services contribute to the living organism of the city. Only by observing the flux of these elements flowing in and out the urban space, can we then better understand the very mechanisms that keep the City alive. This is the Urban Metabolism. In the

east

Danube: more than a river | URBANUM

City, river, boat – the Danube has become an inseparable part of Budapest’s essence. An important momentum of this is related to the launch of the capital’s waterway transport celebrating its 200th anniversary this year, but the river also played a central role in several research projects and civil

business

The urban formula | Datapolis

Dubbed Datapolis, the new business engaged in data analysis functions as a bridge between academic life and the business sector. As there are representatives of both fields in their team, a continuous dialogue is formed: this dynamic is what differentiates Datapolis from other data mining companies operating in the field

east

Understanding the city of the future | Meet Urbanum

What does a livable, inclusive or sustainable city mean? What relationships can be formed between the built environment and the residents of the city? To whom does the city belong, for whom is it built and what factors influence it? Balázs Csizik, Géza Kulcsár and Vo Son Nam explore questions

architecture

From public toilet to work of art | Tadao Ando

Tokyo is already frequently in the center of attention of the design and architectural world, but recently they were featured in the news for a particularly extraordinary project: public toilets, one cooler than the other, are being handed over each week in the city, designed by star architects like Tadao

architecture

Hua Hua Architects | Gastro Safe Zone

Czech HUA HUA Architects intends to bring gastro businesses back to life with new public furniture and a grid-like public space system, thus making public space use in Brno safer. The Gastro Safe Zone initiative started off in March 2020, around the time when a lockdown was imposed in the

news

Europe’s largest green facade has been completed

A hedge consisting of 30 thousand plants, stretching for 8 kilometers. The facade of Kö-Bogen II offices in Düsseldorf qualifying as the largest green facade in Europe has been completed by Ingenhoven Architects. In addition to handling sustainability as a flagship issue, the development also represents a paradigm shift; the

architecture

Stamba Hotel | Tbilisi, Georgia

A building functioning as a newspaper publisher in the Soviet era reborn as a boutique hotel in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi. The Brutalist building revived by Adjara Group has become a vibrant element of Vera, the already pulsating district of Tbilisi. It’s another approach to the Soviet architectural heritage:

contemporary jewelry

HYPE | Weekly program guide

Even we ourselves don’t know why, but this week is full of good lecture series and discussions, may it be about fashion, urbanism, festival management, speculative design or sustainable design. We also added two workshops to spice it up a bit. Let’s see the details! Creative Bureaucracy: urban