Open Central Europe: Activated vacant spaces of Budapest

Photos: Braňo Bibel
Text: Dominika Belanská, Braňo Bibel

Open Central Europe aims to address urban vacancy by the temporary use of vacant spaces and by understanding and discussing the mechanisms of these practices. The project partners - KÉK (Budapest), Fundacja Bec Zmiana (Warsaw), Jedlé mesto (Bratislava) and 4AM Fórum (Brno) - aim to generate debate about the newest practices of interim use in Central Europe, and make their lessons learned more accessible, applicable by transforming them into a practical guide for Central European citizens, urban communities, public and private property owners.

As a part of Open Central Europe, Dominika Belanská and Braňo Bibel (Jedlé mesto. o.z., Bratislava) took part in a workshop in Warsaw in December 2015. In February 2016, it was followed-up by a gathering in Budapest. We have visited several sites, where the transformation of previously vacant lots, spots and spaces into lively cultural places happened, part of them with the support of the Lakatlan project.

The new space of Hungarian Centre for Contemporary Architecture (KÉK) in Bartók Béla Street in Budapest, in a previously vacant shop. The timeline of 10+ years of the organization is packed with documentation of events and projects that KÉK has initiated and run. 

At the time of our visit, the space hosted an exhibition of projects of urban re-activation in Budapest.

Julia Oravecz (KÉK, Lakatlan) and Bogna Świątkowska (Fundacja Bec Zmiana) in front of the map showing all documented projects, that were able to re-activate vacant and underused areas and spaces in Budapest.

 Together, we work on a special guide, to share the know-how and advice coming from the practice of re-activation of vacant spaces in our cities. Júlia Oravecz (KÉK), left,  and Dominika Belanská (Jedlé mesto)

We started our second day in Budapest by visiting Cyklonomia, a bike workshop situated in the basement of municipality-owned building.

Cyklonomia is a brilliant place for bike lovers.

In Cyclonomia, you can fix your bicycle, and if needed, you are advised by dedicated profesionals. Once you become a member, you have access to the tools and the community activities. Contribution by the members enable this space to function independently. The space is used for yoga classes and bouldering as well.

Bogna Świątkowska (Fundacja Bec zmiana) chatting with a guy from Cyklonomia crew.

Judit Schanz (KÉK, Lakatlan) in Cyklonomia.

Cyklonomia - parts of bikes are stored practically untill they become a part of a re-built vehicle. The high ceilings of the space enable that they are hanging from the ceiling.

Júlia Oravecz and Dominika Belanská entering Leonardo Community garden.

Community garden Leonardo is situated in currently transforming location facing heavy gentrification, in the third district´s Leonardo Da Vinci street.

Leonardo community garden´s pots and plants, third district´s new development opposing it. The developer is also the owner of the lot, where the garden is situated. They have enadled and also financially supported the establishemnt of the community garden, as they realize the qualities and value that the garden brings for the whole area, but they plan to built also on this lot - the garden is temporary and will probably stay only one more season.

Judith Schanz, Dominika Belanská, Bogna Świątkowska and Julia Oravecz in the Leonardo community garden.

Bogna Świątkowska takes a photo of a february sunflower. The garden will welcome the new season again soon, providing a space not only for gardening, but for meetings of neighbours, games of their kids and - until the new development takes over - remains a place for all.

Dominika Belanská peeks into the Leonardo garden.

View from Bókay János street. Old goes down under the new: the future construction site opposing the Gólya community place, our next site visit.

Gólya community place is a close neighbour of the Leonardo garden. The informal, cozy but run-down looks of the premises tells us this is the place we were looking for. A new structure with a drastically different scale was built recently just next to it, probably anticipating the same future for the site of Gólya...

Entering Gólya.

Gólya´s bar.

Inside the Golya it we have accidentally run into an awesome retro gaming event.

Some oldschool gamers enjoing 20 years old VR technology by running pc game Quake.

Retro arcade terminal. Gólya community place.

Pixel art stitching workshop. Gólya community place.

Interviewing the co-founder of Gólya. For several years, Gólya works as a place for local communities to gather, an independent place, so much needed in times when the democracy in Hungary is in vein. But to put together the rent for the space is an ongoing struggle, and no long-term plans are viable, unless they would buy the building, which they cannot afford. What can be done for Gólya? Well, we have bought a beer - the bar is a source of their income.

Inside the Auróra courtyard. Auróra is a community center situated on Auróra street 11, in a building owned by the municipality.

Dominika Belanská inside Auróra. Artisan details of the furnishings of the space are handcrafted and tell a story of the enthusiasm and dignity of Auróra's makers.

Auróra is a regular concert and cultural venue whith its own bar. One more view into the courtyard

Sitting inside the Auróra and enjoying talk and tee with Levente Polyák, co-founder of KÉK.

Entering the gate of the Muszi, a unique cultural and community place at Blaha Lujza Tér.

To enter the place, you have to ring the bell and climb to the top floor of what was originally a department store.

 Kid running and playing cheerfully in the spacious rooms of Muszi while Dominika and Bogna are resting after a day-long walk.

There are some rules you shold not cross at Muszi community center. The freedom is in the air, though.

Group of teenagers inside the Muzsi. To spend time here, you don't have to pay. The place has become a favored spot for local youth, and if needed, a special help and support is given to those young people who found themselves in problems, such as drug abuse.

The next steps of the project Open Central Europe are a conference "Funding the Cooperative City", 6-8th April in Budapest,
and workshop and site visits in Bratislava (5-7th May 2016).

The project was supported by Visegrad Fund.