Hungarian Natural History Museum

Located on a former sports ground at the edge of Debrecen’s Great Forest, Nagyerdő, the new Hungarian Natural History Museum is designed in collaboration with Vikár és Lukács Építés Stúdió, Museum Studio and TYPSA. The museum will replace the existing institution in Budapest, supporting the government’s vision to establish Debrecen as a key regional hub for education and culture by 2030. Commissioned by the Museum and the Ministry of Culture and Innovation, the new museum will house permanent and temporary exhibition halls, educational and research facilities, public amenities, and back-of-house spaces.

The new museum is defined by three overlapping volumes that rise and fall with the landscape. With a mass timber structure and charred timber facade, the museum is partially sunken into the ground and rises from the forest floor to visually blend into its park surroundings, while its sloping roofscape invites public access and offers expansive views of the city.

Approaching from any direction, visitors are met with open plazas, winding forest paths and framed views through and over the building. The museum is accessible from all sides, integrating it into both the urban fabric and the surrounding natural landscape. The arrival is marked by a generous southern plaza that forms a meeting point for community life and museum activities.

Inside, the reception hall acts as a central compass point, offering glimpses into the surrounding exhibition wings – five for permanent galleries and one for temporary shows and public programs, organized in a radial layout. Above, a library and restaurant offer views into the forest canopy, while below, a learning hub hosts workshops, play spaces and research labs for students, families and staff.

Minimizing its footprint, the museum is partially hidden in the terrain. The sloping green roofs are planted with native species, offering habitats for local flora and fauna while visually extending the park over the museum. Vegetation continues through the site and into the building, offering areas for rest and gatherings for the public year-round.