House of Music opens in Budapest

Hungary’s House of Music, opened to the public this month. Designed by renowned architect Sou Fujimoto, the House will host a range of interactive musical exhibitions alongside regular live performances.

Built as part of the Liget Budapest Project, the House of Music celebrates Hungary’s musical heritage, showcasing Hungarian composers from Liszt to Bartók as well as the country’s music traditions and folk culture. The building will also house Sound Dimensions - Musical Journeys in Space and Time, a permanent exhibition in which visitors will walk through 2,000 years of music making in Europe as well as space for a range of temporary exhibitions, beginning with a survey of Hungarian pop music.

András Batta, the House’s managing director said: ‘Music making is at the heart of human experience. The House is a one-of-a-kind institution created to introduce the beauty of sound and music, alongside the important role it plays in every aspect of our life.’

Located in Budapest’s City Park next to the Városliget lake, the House’s architecture takes inspiration from its serene surroundings. Equipped with an innovative heating and cooling system the building uses geothermal energy and other renewable sources to cover its energy requirements. A canopy of 30,000 decorative tree leaves is set in the suspended ceiling and the House’s undulating perforated roof is inspired by the varying form of sound waves.

Sou Fujimoto, lead architect, said: ‘We were enchanted by the multitude of trees in the City Park and inspired by the space created by them… I envisaged the open floor plan, where boundaries between inside and outside blur, as a continuation of the natural environment.’

The House of Music houses two indoor concert halls and an open-air stage located on the level of the building’s entrance will host daytime and evening concert events. The building also features a hemispherical Sound Dome for immersive sound installations which are visually enhanced by projections. In the evenings the Dome will become a venue for DJ sets, film screenings and concerts. 

The House will also offer workshops for schools alongside an open university programme of courses and lectures. You can find more information about the House of Music here.