What makes a city a “sponge”? – Kiállítás és beszélgetés a következő 50 évről

“The Next 50 Years” is a series of exhibitions showcasing architectural practices that address the question of how the practice of architecture or urbanism will evolve in the next 50 years, in an era of a collapsing climate, a changing society and dwindling resources.”

A year-long series of architectural exhibitions has been launched at the FUGA – Budapest Architecture Centre, initiated by the Budapest Chamber of Architects. The Series 2024. launched on 14 February and ending on 22 December, curated by GUBAHÁMORI.

Twenty architectural practices will be presented in a two-week rotation over the year, with the eighth of the 20 – 2024. 22 May. and 2 June. showed how architecture can contribute to making the city a sponge.

On 28 May 2028, Ferenc Albert Szigeti discussed this with, BURST Nonprofit Ltd, the coordinator of TeAM HUb. Head of the Department, freelance author of The Globe magazine, geographer, human ecologist, Szőllősi Gábor – Managing Director – Gardenfutura Hungary Kft. and Bence Fülöp, a civil engineer specialising in environmental, water management and climate change systems. During the discussion, the Urban Rain project was also discussed.

In contrast to the previous approach – “The good water is what is not there”, i.e. it is not a problem in our cities – in recent years and decades, the “Let’s get rid of the concrete, let’s go green” approach has dominated urban planning, as climate change has made water conservation one of Hungary’s biggest environmental, economic and social problems. And the big question for architecture is how urban blue-green infrastructure development can help.

A paradigm shift is underway, but like all paradigm shifts, the adoption and application of the sponge city concept is a difficult process.

The first step, and the minimum step, is to provide better living space for plants and trees, as current urban tree planting methods allow trees to grow healthily for up to 15 years. But this scale is not enough. A real paradigm shift is needed, where blue, green and grey infrastructure are treated together.