Garden of Communities Pavilion

Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó

Garden of Communities Pavilion

Hello Wood

ARCHITECTS
Hello Wood

ARCHITECT
Balázs Szelecsényi

ASSOCIATE ARCHITECT
Szilvia Odry

PROJECT MANAGER
Viktor Rajmon

STRUCTURE
Attila Csicsó, Miklós Piltman

STRUCTURAL DESIGN
László Pongor

IDEA
András Huszár (Ceo, Head Architect)

DESIGN AND GENERAL CONSTRUCTION
Hello Wood Zrt

BOARD TEAM
András Huszár, Dávid Ráday, Krisztián Tóth

PLANTS
Gergely Ronai

LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Enikő Kapás

PHOTOGRAPHS
György Palkó

AREA
60 M²

YEAR
2023

LOCATION
Veszprém, Hungary

CATEGORY
Installation, Pavilion, Sustainability & Green Design

The architectural firm, Hello Wood – known for its unique cabin houses and builder festivals - has again designed a spectacular public installation.

Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó

Placed in the center of the Factory'ard in Veszprém, the Garden of Communities is an artwork that celebrates the rich culture of the Veszprém-Balaton region. The pavilion is a symbolic monument to the cooperation of the 116 municipalities participating in the Veszprém-Balaton 2023 European Capital of Culture program.

It is not the first time that Hello Wood has created a public work that represents an important cause: the most iconic was the Christmas tree-shaped Sledge Trees that temporarily appeared in several European cities before being disassembled and the sleds donated.

"For each municipality participating in the VEB2023 program, we have designed a unique planter box, with the name of the municipality clearly displayed on the side, containing a sapling.

Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó

In Veszprém, which is the central site of the European Capital of Culture 2023, we have set up a Garden of Communities, consisting of 116 planters, which promotes the eternal values of community cooperation."

- tells Balázs Szelecsényi, the project's architect. The uniquely shaped planters create a spectacular exhibition space, accessible to anyone.

Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó

The contrast between the geometric architectural forms and the lush vegetation creates a magical atmosphere, attracting visitors who can wander around the pavilion and browse through the names of the villages or cities that hold dear memories for them.

The native tree saplings of the region, planted in crates, together form a biodiverse vertical garden that grows and strengthens with the seasons. The consistent growth of vegetation is ensured by an automated irrigation system built into the structures.

Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó

In addition, the complex structure provides the vegetation with different sun, wind, and rainfall conditions, allowing the tree species to be planted in the right position for their water and sun needs.

The historical significance of the site, which was home to one of the largest furniture factories in the region for some 120 years, was also a key factor in the design.

Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó

This historical heritage is commemorated by the cladding of the planter boxes, which is made from almost 120-year-old reclaimed timber, the old larch planking from the recently renovated Drechsler Palace in Budapest.

The use of antique materials contributes to the timelessness of the work, in addition to the historical reference.

Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó

After four years, each of the planters will be returned to its respective municipality, where the saplings will take root and continue to grow into trees symbolizing the unity of 2023.

Also within the framework of the EKF 2023 program, the Hello Wood architectural summer school and festival will return between 6 and 15 July, in a new inspiring location, the basalt mine of Zalahaláp.

Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó


Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó
Garden of Communities Pavilion
© György Palkó



Garden of Communities Pavilion
Garden of Communities Pavilion


Garden of Communities Pavilion