Budapest 100 is an annual celebration of 100-year old buildings in the city. Budapest is an architectural paradise and this new event (first held in 2011) opens the door to visitors for a behind the scenes look at historic buildings built exactly 100 years ago. More than fifty buildings spread around the city are part of this year's event. The buildings are a mixture of residential houses, schools, museums and offices, which are otherwise closed to the public. In 2013 I joined this project as a volunteer, the next year in 2014 I was the member of the organizers.

 

Budapest100 is a unique organic program mobilizing the entire city which was initiated by OSA Archivum and KÉK in 2011. Its ultimate goal is to start a tradition and to draw our attention to the buildings surrounding us and the human values that are around us every day.

The program is a civil urban festival which has an outstanding community building effect by bringing people of different social background and generations closer. Volunteering plays a key role in Budapest100. Apart from participating buildings, it is our volunteers who, by creatively helping to implement the colorful programs and devoting their energies to organization, make the festival a successful event.

 

The Goldberger-house, home of OSA Archivum, celebrated its 100th birthday in 2011. This gave the idea to celebrate all one-hundred-year old the houses on the 100th day of the year.

Since then, every year a new set of anniversary buildings open their doors, inspiring new joiners and offering colorful programs. In 2013 the event broadened with extra programs such as travelling by a nostalgic tram, discount taxi rides, and discovering the hidden treasures of Budapest with the help of a smart phone application.

 

The smooth operation of the Budapest100 program is guaranteed by the experienced core organizer team of KÉK, the Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre, as well as volunteers, residents and the representatives of participating institutions.

The Hungarian Contemporary Architecture Centre was founded by young architects, urbanists and artists 8 years ago as an independent architecture and art institution. Since 2006 KÉK has hosted nearly 250 events including national and international exhibitions, conferences, architecture tours, festivals. The activity of KÉK attracts special attention both in Hungary and internationally.

The list of each year’s one-hundred-year-old buildings is prepared on by our art historian research team based on archival data. Most of these data, such as the name of the architect, year of construction is available at the Budapest100 homepage for the general public. These data also help to create the program of the building.

The buildings and institutions are contacted by our volunteers, who explain the Budapest100 program to the residents and representatives/managers. Volunteers deliver the letters of call, contact the representative of the house, help shape and implement the ideas and organize the events. The representatives – an enthusiastic resident or the manager of a building – introduce their buildings and ideas at the Meetings of Residents, where they can also ask for help and support.

Sponsorship and press relations are handled by a separate team. 

 

In 2013, Laura Benett from Guardian selected Budapest100 as one of Europe’s best arts events. “It's a brilliantly simple concept – you wonder why more cities don't follow suit.”

Last year Budapest100 received the award of “The most beautiful urban festival”;  as the only foreign applicant out of  631 from all over Europe, Budapest100 was one of the five awardees at Lebendige Stadt (Living City) Foundation, Hamburg.

Numerous videos show the atmosphere and experience of Budapest100 on its official YouTube channel.

You can watch the 2013 program video here. Our first image video, filmed after the 2013 program, now with more than 16.000 views.

 

The festival in 2014 comes with new developments and accompanying programs. We plan to organize lectures and presentations related to architecture and the history of architecture in cooperation with the students of the Faculty of Architecture, Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Close partnership is planned with the Social Science Faculty of Eötvös Loránd University in the field of urban sociology research. Furthermore, we will organize thematic tours, such as city bike tours and games connecting the one-hundred-year- old houses in each district. We would also like to expand the dimensions of the program by inviting rural cities to join the initiative, emphasizing the adaptability of the Budapest100 idea. One our long term plans is going international, i.e. acquainting the neighboring capital cities or sister cities with our concept. The number of creative ideas and civil organizations offering their cooperation is limitless.