“What if walls could talk?” That is the question the Magyar Építészeti Múzeum és Műemlékvédelmi Dokumentációs Központ or Hungarian Museum of Architecture and Monument Protection Documentation Centre helps to answer. The Magyar Építészeti Múzeum is dedicated to Hungarian architecture. It preserves and promotes designs from the 19th century to today.
The Hungarian Museum of Architecture’s history is rich. In 1872 the first institution for monument protection was founded. It was called the Provisional Committee of Monuments. From 1881 to 1949 it was known as the National Committee of Monuments. The National Monument Inspectorate started in 1957. It split in 1993 into three parts. These were the National Monument Protection Office and others. In 2001, the Cultural Heritage Protection Office was established. This later became the Forster Centre in 2012.
In 2017, the Hungarian Academy of Arts became the maintainer. Since November 2017 it has operated as part of the Hungarian Museum of Architecture and Monument Protection Documentation Centre. The Hungarian Museum of Architecture got its operating permit in 1975. It was classified as a special museum. It has a nationwide sphere of collecting. For over fifty years, its collection has grown. It has been enlarged through purchases and donations.
The museum collects objects related to architecture and its history. This includes plans and models. Paintings and photographs are also included. The collection features moving pictures and sound materials. The museum also has written documents. These include personal papers and letters. Records, special books and periodicals are preserved. The museum also has ornamental prints. Drawing tools and building accessories are present. Other artifacts mainly from Hungary or with Hungarian connections are also collected.
The museum was founded in the second half of the twentieth century. Most of its collection dates back to the second half of the nineteenth century. The heritage of earlier architects belonged to other repositories. The museum’s material is considerable. This is due to bequests from architects and interior designers. Architectural photographers active between the two World Wars and after 1945 are represented.
Significant pieces in the collection include works by Alajos Hauszmann and Miklós Ybl. Ödön Lechner and Miksa Róth are featured. Ernő Foerk and Gyula Sándy are also included. Déne Györgyi and Gyula Kaesz are present. Lajos Kozma and Farkas Molnár are represented. József Fischer and Máté Major are featured. Virgil Bierbauer and Gyula Rimanóczy are included. Károly Dávid Jr. and Lajos Gádoros are also present. Margit Pázmándi’s work can be seen. The museum is noteworthy for architectural photography. Its photo gallery includes pictures by Mór Erdélyi and Károly Divald. József Pécsi and Olga Máté are featured. Ferenc Haár and Ernő Bánó are also included. Zoltán Seidner and Tivadar Kozelka’s photos are present.
The Hungarian Museum of Architecture is a member of the International Confederation of Architectural Museums ICAM. It is also a member of Docomomo International. The museum has arranged several important exhibitions. It has issued catalogues and publications of source value. Although the museum never had a separate exhibition space. In May 2022, the institution opened its first permanent exhibition space. This is in the renovated Walter Rózsi Villa in Budapest.
The Walter Rózsi Villa is a unique architectural monument. It is the only publicly accessible modern villa in Hungary. Fischer József designed the building. Pécsi Eszter, the first Hungarian structural engineer, also played a role. She was responsible for the building’s reinforced concrete structure. The villa was built in less than six months in 1936. It was commissioned by opera singer Walter Rózsi.
The villa represents the modernist style of the interwar period. The exhibition inside showcases this era’s architecture. Events, talks, and museum education activities are held there. Visit the Walter Rózsi Villa to experience this blend of architectural history and art. The Hungarian Museum of Architecture preserves our heritage. It ensures that the stories behind the buildings are not forgotten.