Architects: Földes Architects
Area: 965 m²
Year: 2013
Photography: Tamás Bujnovszky
Lead Architects: László Földes, Csaba Balogh
Project Team: Orsolya Tatár-Gönczi, Ágnes Deigner, Levente Sirokai, Péter Sónicz
Contributing Volcanologist: David Karatson
Exhibition Concept: Gabor Sz. Szilagyi
Structural Engineer: Zoltan V. Nagy
Mechanical Engineer: Gyorgy Lederer
Electrical Engineer: Judit Balazs
Installation Design: Zsolt Vasaros
Client: Celldomolk City Council
City: Celldömölk
Country: Hungary
Kemenes Volcano Park Visitor Center, designed by Földes Architects, is located 200 km west of Budapest in Celldömölk, Hungary. Completed in 2013, this visitor center captures the volcanic essence of the region through its raw materials and design, showcasing the historical significance of the area’s volcanic past.
Hungary, in Central Eastern Europe, lacks active volcanoes, but much of the country was volcanic around 5 million years ago. This geological history contributes to the high-quality soil for wine production, a major Hungarian export.
The Kemenes Volcano Park Visitor Center, situated between Celldömölk and the ancient Sag Hill volcano, was realized following a national architectural competition in 2009, won by Földes Architects.
Instead of designing a volcano-shaped museum, the architects aimed to capture the essence of the location using raw materials like concrete and corten steel, which evoke volcanic imagery.
Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a vertically open space with a beam of light entering through a small window five floors above, symbolizing an eruption point. The industrial materials of the facade, such as concrete walls, dark grey resin flooring, steel staircase, and corten steel cubes, continue inside. Bridges of varying heights connect these cubes, serving as screening rooms and interactive installation areas that detail the history and typology of volcanoes. Exhibition texts are directly on the walls, enhancing the raw interior aesthetic.
Walking through the building evokes the feeling of being inside a cubist painting, reminiscent of Picasso’s Guernica. The red cubes, grey walls, and bridges create an environment that reflects the transience and vulnerability of human existence against nature’s formidable forces.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Sághegyalja körút 1, Celldömölk 9500, Hungary
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
