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Where Can the Museum of Ethnography Be Moved?

Andrássy Quarter, „Museum Park” waiting for a brand name, buildings to be renewed, old vehicles to be rediscovered, a few new ideas about moving museums. The press conference of Géza Szőcs and László Baán László, December 6th, 2011.

Secretary of state for cultural affairs Géza Szőcs and government commissioner László Baán (director of the Museum of Fine Arts) were waiting for the representatives of the press in a cafe near the Heroes' Square, to share with them the latest details of the Andrássy Quarter concept and the ideas of the Museum Park projekt.

- Had we been living here 120 years ago, I could agree with all the sceptical viewpoints – said Mr. Szőcs, referring to the historical fact that during the last decades of the 19^th century the completion of the Andrássy út (Boulevard(, the City Park and the subway seemed unrealistic to the contemporary eye.

- Now it is about the preservation of existing cultural values and heritage with the aim to make Hungary an attractive touristic destination and cultural power. According to the state secretary this does not need „megaprojects” and „mega” investments, it is enough to find those buildings of historical value that can contribute to the reorganization of the cultural life of the Andrássy Quarter. With the renewal of city mansions and villas, with the relocating of certain cultural institutions the area can be made much more attractive, at the same time it can become stronger financially.

The evaluation of the buildings in state property has already started, and the brainstorming about the functions of these buildings is also under way. „We have plenty of half-known, or unknown houses” - said Mr. Szőcs.

The empty MÁV-house (the headquarters of the Hungarian State Railways at 73–75 Andrássy út) could be used as the new building of the Museum of Ethnography, the modern villa at 10 Bajza utca (The House of the Opera Singer) would be the permanent home of the Kassák Museum.

At this point László Baán took over from Mr. Szőcs and started talking about the new museum building complex planned near the Heroes's Square. The result of the project (named Museum Grove) will be the New Picture Gallery (the joint material of the national Gallery and the Fine Arts Museum) and the Museum of Hungarian Photography, which will be moved here from the town of Kecskemét.

– The new building would not mean the closing up of the old one in Kecskemét – emphasised Mr. Baán – the several thousand visitors which visited the museum per year still could go and visit the exposition int he town.

The commissioner even mentioned the possibility of creating a third museum near the Heroes’ Square. But one thing is certain: the concept of the new museum quarter must be completed till June 30th, 2012 and submitted to the government. After the government’s decision the competition of the design of the whole are can be announced

The result of the project is an area packed with museums and other cultural institutions, which will attract about 10 million tourists a year and become a significant cultural center in the region.