Location: Szeged, Csongrád region

Area: 50 000 m²

Year: 2018

Client: Szeged City Council

Collaborators: EKHO Építész Műterem Kft., Útterv '83 Mérnöki Iroda Bt.

Award: Szeged, Széchenyi Square Design Competition - 3rd prize, 2018

Status: concept plan

Széchenyi Square in Szeged holds significant importance as the main square, boasting a cohesive urban structure and housing various public services and cultural institutions nearby. Our design vision aims to create a representative main square while preserving its historical charm and park-like atmosphere, with lush plant populations.

The plan incorporates a harmonious blend of a representative main square, a tree-lined public area, and an elegant walking park, ensuring a proportional balance where historical elements prevail, while adapting certain spaces to contemporary needs.

Széchenyi Square is envisioned as the City Hall's forecourt, with paved spaces that seamlessly transition into the greenery, providing an ideal venue for representative events without compromising the square's historical integrity and natural character.

Our design approach adheres to a complex system of criteria, addressing the monument's historical aspects, modern expectations for public spaces, environmental preservation, traffic, and utility requirements.

The design highlights the importance of maintaining urban axes, such as the pedestrian walkway on Kárász Street, connecting the apartment building near the City Hall with the Bridge of Sighs in the park.

Our concept showcases the cohesion of green areas, typical of historical editing, along with editing along key streets and building axes. The statues in the square remain in their original locations, emphasizing the historical significance of figures like Pál Vásárhelyi and Lajos Tisza. Our vision for Széchenyi Square encapsulates both the essence of its rich history and the needs of a vibrant contemporary public space.