In the very heart of Budapest, steps away from the City Hall, a parking lot is about to be given back to the people. The closed-off territory turns into a community space and pop-up park, completing a longstanding debt of Budapest Municipality. Construction works have already started.
The surroundings of the transport hub Deák Ferenc tér are bustling all year around and are about to get even more vibrant with the opening of a new pop-up park. Városháza Park ('City Hall Park') has been undergoing a redesign in recent years: the building of the Merlin Theatre has been refurbished, and the renovation of the façade facing Károly körút at City Hall is nearing completion. For Budapest's 150th anniversary last year, the City Hall Passage was opened, providing a public passageway through the City Hall courtyard between Károly körút and Városház utca.
Now, the project has reached Phase 5, and a temporary outdoor space is getting ready to add even more life to the neighbourhood. The parking lot outside Budapest's City Hall is making an exit: construction works started last week to give the area a glow-up, and most importantly: give it back to the people. From May, all can enjoy a new community space, designed by Lépték-Terv Landscape Architecture Firm, extending the freely accessible public space by 3000 square metres.
As the name suggests, the pop-up park is only temporary (and will be built with temporary elements) until the detailed project plans are completed. The next step will be the final design of Városháza Park according to the winning entry of the design competition, which will be implemented in the coming years after the ongoing façade renovation of City Hall.
