Category Archives: Blog

As I was walking down the street, step by step, jumping from stone to stone, approaching the house -I felt it. I felt that there is something spiritual lingering around this place. The meeting of sky and Earth is questioning this bad habit of our ages – that we must surpass and conquer each other, and brag with our victory. And that is right this way.

After the intimate and deep atmosphere of the street, I was captured by the site, and I have to say a few words about it. The water drops sitting on the grass and the light mist rising up from them all contribute to the spirit of the place. It feels like we are becoming small dwarves and robust giants at the same time, just so we can see it from every possible angle and aspect what this house is trying to say, gently whispering to us.

However, we can only understand these words if we are tuned in to nature. There ends the man’s rapacious and unsustainable money empire in which there is no place for nature, wolves, birds, foxes and butterflies  - but now here they are the lords and the homo sapiens is only standing and watching. Yes, this is the way how the house is natural, in this endless and weightless media; there is no word for that, you have to feel it.

And the house is teaching us. And we are learning and we are suffering for every piece of knowledge with the hungry lips of our soul, what this house throws for us. Us, reckless and rapacious beasts, seeds of dragon’s teeth. Well, the time for confession has come. And this house will be our confessional always, under any circumstances. After the entrance there comes the lobby, and the living room that was designed just a few meters away from that.  There is no better place for a room that symbolizes family love and union. It proves the genius of the architect-artist that he placed the other rooms – like the bathroom, the bedroom, the kitchen, the gym, the janitor’s room, the wellness section with the Jacuzzi, the dodgem room with room for the sauna provisionally, the garage for three cars with the essential family equipment, the hot-rod, the wine cellar, the pálinka distillery, the boat house that is connecting to the lake next to the house, the heated minigolf field and the guest room.   And he did it all with the ease and elegance that makes it doubtless that he is a talented architect.

The walls are disappearing, the trees are riding into the living room, the rails are curving above the terrace like diamond eyed chrome steel snails, the blast of the dodgem comes from the distance, and we are just floating in this vacuum filled with fresh air and light sparks. No question remains unanswered; the father-son or mother-daughter connection created between the designer and the client donated us a building that is a significantly decorative and modestly forward-looking pearl standing at the top of the bridge of the Creation of Man.

Published in Strike #1 – Trash

The residents of Királyszentistván are collecting signatures as a protest against the construction of the crematory. According to the plans of the company who has already obtained the permissions, the construction will take place on  the outskirts of the village, next to the playground and a rest area.

There is a playground and a rest area with an empty  plot in the neighborhood. At least for now. According to the plans, there will be a crematory soon.

– We have collected 293 signatures and I think there are 346 eligible voters.

They have got enough facilities lately that they didn’t even want – they say.

– We have enough of these edificies; if we look around, we can see an incinerator within 2 kilometers and there is the county’s waste treatment facility within a 1 kilometer circle.

Many people do not understand why should Veszprém County’s first crematory be built on a historical village? However, the investing company has already received effective permissions.

– It would be the disgrace of the country if a construction like this took place on the scene of the battle between István and Koppány.

There are family houses near the area. A resident claims he has a direct view of the site from the bedroom window.

– When mothers come with their children,they will see the same thing that I see every day. – he said.

According to the head of the investing company, there is nothing to be afraid of. The building will look like a family house.

– There is no smoke emission or pollution. The  have lifted borders on an embankment and it will be surrounded by plants that are impossible to see through – said the executive director of the company.

The executive director also said that the residents do not even know what they were protesting against. The truth is that nobody has informed them about the details.

RTL Klub news, 13 September, 2011.

I am listening to the news on TV and I am either nodding in agreement, or feel surprised and amazed. To be honest, who would want a crematory to be built under their window? Or an incinerator in the close neighborhood? No one, probably. And who would like to live in a body which once will become a disgusting, stinky garbage rejected by the of István’s and Koppány’s battle? Who would want the children to cry out when they learn the truth – even if there is no pollution? Who would want his body which he admires day by day in front of the mirror to be categorized one day as “hazardous waste”? Who would want to be hidden behind a lifted embankment and plants away the eyes of those who will end up there as well – but until then they protest and turn away? No one, probably. But the future waste also has pride and self-esteem. And fear. Fear from becoming waste, from the identifiable future, from becoming part of the inevitable heap. You should not have any doubts; everyone will end up there, everyone will become waste; it’s just the question of time and system.

What bothers me the most in this story though is, that one day I will also become “hazardous garbage”, with no place to be stored at, whose handling and storage is a problem that needs to be solved. I try to find the exact spot or rather a line on my body after which I become waste. It cannot be simply the fact that my pulse stops and the body starts to rot. Although the future residents around the crematory will see me as disgusting waste, there would be a few living soul for whom this body would not be just some garbage to get rid of. They would even see something in this dead stuff and they will weave it through and through with emotion. But where is the limit? In case the village votes unanimously for bringing the waste elsewhere, can the opinion of some people be stronger? Could the opinion stating that the disgusting waste is respectful and has to be protected  convince the crowd? Can the scene of the battle of István king and Koppány accept me?

I tried to find the answer with two experiments. The first was to follow and adore an originally waste object from its birth. Perhaps an action like this could give the answer on how and when something becomes waste, how do I become waste.I found a milk box the most suitable product for this purpose. After drinking up the milk from the box, the remaining milk becomes more and more disgusting, not desirable in my environment. Evidently, it was not possible to be with it from its birth but it was possible to adopt it at its developed stage.

I went to Spar and chose the milk box which would stay with me from that time. I did not want to follow the daily shopping procedure; going to the fridge and taking the first box. I stood there and examined the boxes. As I looked over them, they looked all the same; red spots on white boxes, plastic cap on the top. I was looking on them but none of them looked different from the others. To tell you the truth I did not want anything different, a misprinted or a deformed box. I did not want to choose a box only because it was different and I did not want to choose based on regret. I did not want to be bound to it because of its difference or specialty. Moreover, I did not want the most bulging and most perfect box as my companion. But I had to choose somehow. I closed my eyes, touched the air at 20 cm above the boxes and I listened to my inner voice in order to decide when to stop and put my hands in the fridge. I did 2-3 circles and slowed down my hand like the fortune wheel in the television and took out a milk box. I held it in my hands and I felt its coldness and its bulging liquid and I really felt that this was different from the others. It was more beautiful. The red was redder, the patterns were more vivid and the whole was more manufactured than the others. I was satisfied and happy. I put it in the basket and paid for it at the cashier. I also bought some other things: cheese, salami (of the brand “Pick” because I like it) and a beer. I took the things home and put them in the fridge – except for the milk. I put the milk on the table and I stared at it. I read everything written on it: 2,8 fat content, producer, ESL technology, I have to consume it within 3 days and I have to store it between 0 and 6 Celsius. Alright, but these details refer to the milk and not to the box which I was more interested in. All I learned about it was the fact that it was produced by Tetra Pak. But I felt that the inside is also important, I have to get acquainted with it. Anyway, the box does not make any sense without the milk in it. If the milk goes bad or its nutritional value is added to my system, the box is done. At the very moment it becomes waste. It loses its function. Its inner content is lost and consumed. So the inner content is important. I must like the milk in order to be able to like the box. Therefore I got to like them together. I drank a glass of milk every morning – paying attention to the “best before” date – and I enjoyed each drop to the full – just the way I followed every motion of the box. When I poured the milk out, I smoothly unscrewed the top, observing the perfection of the top and the thread of the cylinder, the feeling, the proportions and the patterns of the box. Then I read the instructions and put the box back in the fridge. I took the box out more than once a day even when I did not drink from it. At these times I put it next to the computer – but not for a long time, so the milk would not go bad. Then I read out the news about the Swiss franc currencies and Való Világ reality show. I could not read out longer articles, because we did not have so much time; the milk warmed up quickly.

Fontos Graphic Design Studio
Design: Máté Oláh / 3D modelling: Gábor Gloviczki
www.fgs.hu

As time passed, its content decreased rapidly. Then I poured out less and less milk. The last days were over the “best before” date, first it became sweet than sour, finally I had diarrhea and the box got empty.

I could not accept the fact that it was over. I was attached to the box and I sticked to the thought that the milk box made sense without the milk. First I had an idea that I would fill the box up with newly-bought milk and I would drink the milk only from this box, because this was the best milk box that had ever found me. But I felt that it would not be fair to fill it up with others’ content. I tried to pour water in it but it was not drinkable even after rinsing the box out. I thought I would use it as a vase – the carnation looked weird in it. I put pencil in it but as I did not want to cut its top off, it was useless; the pencils fell in it and it was hard to pull them back; moreover, I use pencils very rarely. So I put the empty box back in the fridge after I had read out the news from Index according to which the government reduces the number of university students and Brad Pitt is shooting a movie in Kőbánya. I realized that I had to let it go, the experiment was close to final; the question whether it was waste or not, was about to get an answer. Next Wednesday I put the box in a bag and took it to the editorial staff meeting where I met people close to me. At one point I took the box out and showed to the others what a beautiful milk box I had. They did not understand the situation. They said that this was totally the same as any other milk box. They said it was empty and stinky and they thought that I was kidding.

I took it home and I could not sleep that night.

The garbagemen arrive at our house between 6 and 6:30 every Thursday. I wound up the clock. But it was not necessary, I was awake and waiting. I dressed up and went down to the trash. I did not want to say goodbye so I opened the trash and put the box on the top of the garbage.

Then I took it back and waited for the garbagemen holding the box in my hand. They said they would take the municipal waste to the rubbish dump of South Pest and asked if I wanted to throw the box in with the rest at last. I opened Google Maps and checked the directions to the rubbish dump. I felt it fair to take the box to the dump myself. After a long journey, I arrived to the front desk, where the man thought I was an idiot, when he saw me holding 500 forints in my hand and asking for decent treatment for the milk box. I rather brought it back home and put it next to my university notes in the basement. After a few weeks I summarized the result of the experiment: nobody is born waste. Everything has a purpose until it is important for someone. Then I started the next experiment. Now a living material- which is not waste originally – has to be made waste. The most suitable subject for this purpose was me. For this purpose it was necessary to give up every affection, love and attention towards the people around me. I had to commit a ritual inner suicide. I must put an end to love and friendship. And I also must forget everybody.

Here I am now. Lately my phone has not rung and I have not received any email. I do not have the strength to go down to the Spar.

Published in Strike #1 – Trash

Welcome, Mr. Architecture.  This is our workshop. Let me take off your coat. I am very glad that You are here.

We have just moved in so I cannot show you too many things. The hall is almost empty but we have transported a few things from our old place. There was a little fuss about what is garbage and what is not. Should we take this or that? Would it be good for something or not? You never know what happens tomorrow. We threw away a lot of things. Maybe too many. It happens all the time that you would need something but you have already thrown it away. This is how it goes…

“We have just moved in so I cannot show you too many things.”

We love to fix things. Come! Do you see this shelf? We cleaned it up this week with gasoline. It looks like it is brand new, its screws are twinkling. If I just told you what kind of things were on it! You would have felt like you wanted to throw away the whole thing.  We found some rasp stuck in the machine oil as we were looking it through; they are now soaking in the coke bottle. Coke is the best detergent for something like that. It takes everything out. There is a flea market nearby; you can buy there handles for pennies. We make them new in a moment.

This room on the right is still empty so we store some useful things here. Some furniture, interesting things, silly things. There is for example a stone basin with mosaic. It is a very pretty piece. Some of the mosaic pieces are cracked but that can be fixed easily. It belonged to a barbershop. It would have ended up in the trash if we had not taken it under our wings. It is a bit heavy, but that does not matter, we brought it here. We have a crane. One day it will find its own place; maybe a generous client will adopt it. People like these things. Do you see this weird chair? It looks like it is ruined, doesn’t it? But that is not the case. It is redesigned. Its backrest was curved back and its legs were adjusted to the it in order to protect the person from falling on his back. It could belong to a lazy accountant. It is suitable for relaxing in the office. You can lie down on it. It is almost a sofa.

“It probably belonged to a lazy accountant.“

Of course  you, architects look at these things differently. You call it recycling and you have other ways to do it. Garbage really has to hit the bull’s-eye to become design. For you, repairing is out of question. But these treasures are invaluable. Think about it! Each of them has its own story that makes it unique. How can I say? You can dust old things, but you cannot add an extra layer of dust on new ones. Time does the job. We are in the store room. There is some chaos in here. We love chaos. Everyone has their own little things and treasures at their disposal. Things go around, come around. A lot of them come on their own feet, they simply appear and we just use them or store them. The space therefore gets filled up.

There comes a moment quite regularly when we have to let go of things. These are hard moments. You stop and look at the garbage, wait and think; usually with no use.

This is somehow connected to the hours spent in the workshop. The hits with which we transform the material, transform us as well. Knowledge and experience strengthens us and makes us confident. You become more and more convinced that things are useful and once can even save lives. Therefore – as time goes on – scrapping gets harder and harder. And we get scared, too.

If something is missing, you immediately think that someone has thrown it away…

Broken tools are the biggest challenge. Tools are not only things, they are work equipments. A tool – even if it is nicked – is still good. You can still use it for tightening, cutting, drilling, etc. And it can be fixed, usually. It will never be the same as a brand new one, but never mind. In this box you can find the tools waiting to be fixed. We just call it the elephants’ graveyard.

“He is a serious collector. We are only amateurs.”

Come, I will show you the parcel of my retired colleague. He is a serious collector. We are only amateurs. Here are the tables. This – on the left side – belongs to him. We call him Maestro. Look at these tiny boxes full of little screws and things. A single box can be like 20 kg. Treasure boxes in which you can find anything you need. You just dip into it and you reach immediately “The thing” or something similar.Fast and precisely. Just like you were shopping in a Swiss hardware store. You only have to transform it a little bit. There is something magical and unbelievable in that; but we never ask, just use it. Of course we are also part of this balance – at least our head is. We overcome things’ defects with our ideas. We keep collecting and searching in the accumulated things. Maestro is a bit different. He has Diogenes syndrome. He wouldn’t throw away anything; he fixes everything with the help of his collection. But after all, we try to control him. There are quarrels; this is my garbage, don’t touch it, don’t throw it away, it could save lives. Until now we could not decide who the biggest “accumulator” is; we only make accusations. We all agree on the fact that balance is important. This is like the zen. We should find the balance between Diogenes-syndrome and the elephants’ graveyard.

You should stick to non-affection, otherwise things thicken, space is used up and the machine stops.

I understand You, Mr. Architecture that you have to go and get an Aspirin. I am very glad that you stopped by. You are welcome here anytime. Please come. We will teach you how to weld and to put simple furniture together. You will see how much fun that is. We always have a desk for You to clean. It would be amazing. I thank you again that You stopped by, goodbye. Goodbye!

Published in Strike #1 – Trash

speech, tongue, rhetoric, interpretation, keyword, enigma

The second issue of Strike architectural and cultural magazine concentrates on language, as the language of architecture, architectural form, and the language of architectural writing and critic. This issue concetrates on stories behind cities, the meanings of the urbanized landscape and the possibilites or the evolution of architectural representation and interpretation.

We are awaiting essays, critics, observation based analysis and other treatise that show the main conflicts and the big changes of the topic. We also accept photos, images, comics, etc.

The maximum length of manuscripts is 3500 words. In case of non text-based works, please contact us to regarding the format of your work.

Submit your work at editor@strike.hu

Deadline: 29, April 2013

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at info@strike.hu

In 1963, in the so called „Bercsényi Kollégium”, the dorm of the Architecture Faculty at the Budapest University of Technology, a journal was founded. It soon outgrew the borders of the dorm’s publicity, and became one of the most dominant architectural and art journals in the socialist Hungary.

This journal is called B2830, and it presented expansively architectural and art topics in its 24 year long history, while it also documented the social and art life of the Bercsényi Kollégium. Many other publications and issues were made in the dorm under the name of B2830, that represented authors and ideas that were rarely available for students and architects before the fall of communism, such as Aldo Rossi translations, the Soviet avantgarde, works of Kisho Kurokawa or theoratical publications of the postmodern architecture. After the change of the regime in Hungary, the B2830 journal was quickly forgotten, and its heritage is now handled by the Advanced Architecture College.

In 2013, 50 years after B2830 was founded, a new journal was born in the Bercsényi Kollégium, surrounded by a majorly different architectural, cultural and political environment. Its aim is to find new possibilites in the Hungarian architectural publication and thinking.

Now the Bercsényi Kollégium has a highly different role in the cultural life of Budapest, but the building remains the same as a memento of the ’old times’. The new annual magazine, Strike is called to life in this building, to represent and position the thoughts of architects and other delegates of the culture about architecture, city and urban culture at an international level.