New Hungarian Natural History Museum
BIG, Bjarke Ingels Group, has been selected to design the new Hungarian Natural History Museum in Debrecen. Located on a former sports ground at the northern edge of the city's Great Forest, Nagyerdő, the 23,000 m² museum is being developed in collaboration with Vikár és Lukács Építés Stúdió, Museum Studio, and TYPSA. The new institution will replace the existing museum in Budapest, supporting the government's vision to establish Debrecen as a regional hub for education and culture by 2030. Commissioned by the Museum and the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, the new building will house permanent and temporary exhibition halls, educational and research facilities, public amenities, and back-of-house spaces.
The building will feature five exhibition wings dedicated to permanent galleries and one for temporary exhibitions and public programs, arranged in a radial layout. A reception hall serves as the central navigation point, while a library and restaurant above offer views into the forest canopy. Below, a learning hub will host workshops, play spaces, and research labs. The roof is to be planted with native species, explicitly designed to provide habitats for local flora and fauna, and visually extending the park over the museum. Vegetation will also be integrated into the building's interior, accompanying rest and gathering areas for visitors throughout the year.
