Imre Makovecz (November 20, 1935 – September 27, 2011) was a Hungarian architect active in Europe from the late 1950s onward. Makovecz was born and died in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

. He attended the

Technical University of Budapest The Budapest University of Technology and Economics ( or in short ), official abbreviation BME, is a public research university located in Budapest, Hungary. It is the most significant university of technology in the country and is considered t ...

. He was founder and "eternal and executive president" of the

Hungarian Academy of Arts Hungarian may refer to: * Hungary, a country in Central Europe * Kingdom of Hungary, state of Hungary, existing between 1000 and 1946 * Hungarians/Magyars, ethnic groups in Hungary * Hungarian algorithm, a polynomial time algorithm for solving the ...

. He was an award-winning architect, having won Ybl Prize,

Kossuth Prize The Kossuth Prize (, ) is a state-sponsored award in Hungary, named after the Hungarian politician and revolutionist Lajos Kossuth. The Prize was established in 1936, by the Hungarian National Assembly, to acknowledge outstanding personal and grou ...

, Steindl Imre Prize and Prima Primissima Award among many others. Makovecz was one of the most prominent proponents of

organic architecture Organic architecture is a philosophy of architecture which promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world. This is achieved through design approaches that aim to be sympathetic and well-integrated with a site, so buildings, furn ...

. As such, his buildings attempt to work with the natural surroundings rather than triumph over them.

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

and

Rudolf Steiner Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (; 27 or 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian occultist, social reformer, architect, esotericist, and claimed clairvoyant. Steiner gained initial recognition at the end of the nineteenth century ...

are both strong influences, as is traditional Hungarian art. His work began as a critique of communist ideology and the brutal uniformity of system building, but after the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, it became a comment on the nature of globalisation and corporate culture. In its attempts to refer to and build on Hungarian national archetypes, Makovecz was continuing the work and ideas of the architects of Hungarian Art Nouveau and National Romanticism. The first English language monograph on his work, ''Imre Makovecz: T.e Wings of the Soul'', by Edwin Heathcote, was published in 1997. More recently, his work has been examined in the broader context of Hungarian culture to which also belongs organic cinema.

Thorsten Botz-Bornstein Thorsten Botz-Bornstein (born 1964) is a German philosopher and writer specializing in aesthetics and intercultural philosophy. He is professor of philosophy at the Gulf University for Science and Technology in Kuwait and director of the Global ...

''Organic Cinema: Film, Architecture, and the Work of Béla Tarr''. New York: Berghahn, 2017, Makovecz was a devout

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

Makovecz's key works

* Cultural Center,

Sárospatak Sárospatak (; ; Serbian language, Serbian: Муд Стреам; Slovak language, Slovakian: ''Šarišský Potok, Blatný Potok)'' History The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Sárospatak was granted town status in 1201 by Emeric ...

(completed in 1982) * Sports Hall, Visegrád (1985) * Town Hall and Commercial Center of

Dunajská Streda Dunajská Streda (; ; ) is a town located in southern Slovakia ( Trnavský kraj). Dunajská Streda is the most culturally significant town in the Žitný ostrov area. The town has a population of 22,730, with ethnic Hungarians forming the 72% maj ...

* Community Center,

Kakasd Kakasd () is a village in Tolna County, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the ea ...

(1996) * His group designed the buildings of the

Piliscsaba Piliscsaba () is a town in Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary, located in northwestern Pest County, near the border of Komárom-Esztergom in a valley between the Buda and Pilis hills. It is accessible by Highway 10 and lies on the Budapest-Eszte ...

campus of

Pázmány Péter Catholic University Pázmány Péter Catholic University (PPKE) ( (''PPKE'')) is a private university in and near Budapest, Hungary, belonging to the Catholic Church in Hungary, Catholic Church and recognized by the state. While PPKE takes its name after an insti ...

. * Hungarian pavilion at the

Seville Expo '92 The Universal Exhibition of Seville 1992 – Expo '92 (officially: ) was a universal exhibition held from Monday 20 April to Monday 12 October 1992, at the , in Seville, Spain. The theme for the expo was "The Age of Discoveries", celebrating the ...

Seville, Spain Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...

* House,

Recsk Recsk is a large village in Heves County, Hungary, under the Mátra mountain range, beside of the Parádi-Tarna creek. As of 2022 census, it has a population of 2497 (see Demographics). The village located beside of the (Nr. 84) Kisterenye–Ká ...

Other important works

* Restaurant,

Berhida Berhida is a town in Veszprém county, Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the eas ...

(1964) * Shark Restaurant,

Velence Velence is a town in the county of Fejér, Hungary, on the shore of Lake Velence. Its name is the same in Hungarian as that of the Italian city of Venice, though they are suffixed differently: "in Velence" is ''Velencén'', while ''Velencében'' ...

(1965) * Fisherman's Inn,

Szekszárd Szekszárd (, formerly also ''Szegzárd''; ; or ; ) is a small city in southern Hungary and the capital of Tolna County. By population, Szekszárd is the smallest county capital in Hungary; by area, it is the second-smallest (after Tatabánya). ...

(1965) * Cottages,

Balatonszepezd Balatonszepezd is a village in Veszprém county, Hungary, on the northern shore of the Lake Balaton. History Balatonszepezd was first settled in the 13th century as a fishing village. It was first the domain of royal stewards, then of local nobl ...

(1965) * Inn,

Tatabánya Tatabánya (; ; ) is a city with county rights of 64,305 inhabitants in northwestern Hungary, in the Central Transdanubian region. It is the capital of Komárom-Esztergom County. Location The city is located in the valley between the Gerecse an ...

(1966) * Restaurant, Gyulavár (1969) * Cultural Centre,

(1972) * Restaurant,

Szentendre Szentendre, also known as Saint Andrew is a riverside town in Pest County, Hungary, between the capital city Budapest and Pilis Mountains, Pilis-Visegrád Mountains. The town is known for its museums (most notably the :hu: Szentendrei Szabadtéri ...

(1973) * Funeral Chapel,

Farkasréti Cemetery Farkasréti Cemetery or Farkasrét Cemetery (, ) is one of the most famous cemeteries in Budapest. It opened in 1894 and is noted for its extensive views of the city (several people wanted it more to be a resort area than a cemetery). It compris ...

(1975) * Tourist Lodges, Visegrád (1977) * Camping Complex and Recreation Centre, Visegrád, Mogyoró Hill (1978) * Ski-lift House,

Dobogókő Dobogókő is a popular tourist area near Pilisszentkereszt in Hungary, and the site of the highest point in the Visegrád Mountains, Visegrád Hills at 699 meters. 133 people live here. Up in the hills lies the Ödön Téry Memorial, a stone pyra ...

(1979) * Farm and Restaurant, Visegrád (1980) * Cultural Centre,

Jászapáti Jászapáti is a town in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county, in the Northern Great Plain region of central Hungary. Geography It covers an area of and had a population of 8585 people in 2014. Politics The current mayor of Jászapáti is Ferenc Far ...

(1983) * Community Centre,

Bak Bak or BAK may refer to: People * Bak (surname), including a list of people with the name * Bąk (surname), a Polish surname, including a list of people with the name * Park (Korean surname), sometimes also Pak or Bak * Bek (sculptor) or Bak ...

(1985) * Cultural Centre,

Szigetvár Szigetvár (; ; ) is a town in Baranya County in southern Hungary. The name is a compound word composed of ''Sziget'' (Island) + ''vár'' (castle). In October 2011, the city received the title ''Civitas Invicta'' from the Hungarian Parliament. T ...

(1985) * Church,

Siófok Siófok (; ; ) is a town in Somogy County, Hungary on the southern bank of Lake Balaton. It is the Somogy County#Municipalities, second largest municipality in Somogy County and the seat of Siófok District. It covers an area of about between Lak ...

(1986) * Holy Spirit Church,

Paks Paks is a small town in Tolna (county), Tolna county, in the south of Hungary, on the right bank of the Danube River, 100 km south of Budapest. Paks as a former agricultural settlement is now the home of the only Hungarian Paks Nuclear Pow ...

(1987) *

Secondary School A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

(1988) * Ecological Centre,

Überlingen Überlingen (; ) is a German city on the northern shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Baden-Württemberg near the German-Swiss border, border with Switzerland. After the city of Friedrichshafen, it is the second-largest city in the Bodenseek ...

, Germany (1989) * Hungarian Pavilion, Universal Exposition Sevilla 1992,

Sevilla Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. Seville ...

, Spain (1992) * Theatre and Hungarian Community Center,

Lendava Lendava (; formerly ''Dolnja Lendava'', in older sources also ''Dolenja Lendava''; , formerly ''Alsólendva''; , formerly ''Unter-Limbach'') is a town in Slovenia in the region of Prekmurje. It is the seat of the Municipality of Lendava. It forms ...

, Slovenia (1991–2004) * Stephaneum,

(1995) * Church,

Százhalombatta Százhalombatta (; ; ; ) is a town in Pest County, Hungary. The name of this town in Hungarian literally means "One hundred tumuli" referring to the tumulus field at the edge of the town. History Groups of people had already settled in this ar ...

(1995) * OnionHouse Theatre,

Makó Makó (, , Makowe, or , ) is a town in Csongrád County, in southeastern Hungary, from the Romanian border. It lies on the Maros River. Makó is home to 21,913 people and it has an area of , of which is arable land. Makó is the fourth-larges ...

(1995) * Funeral Chapel,

Sfântu Gheorghe Sfântu Gheorghe (; or ''Szentgyörgy'' ; ; English lit.: ''Saint George'') is a city that serves as the seat of Covasna County in Transylvania, Romania. Located in the central part of the country, it lies on the Olt River in a valley between ...

Romania (1996) * Swimming Pool,

Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights, Eger is best known for Castle of Eger, its ...

(2000) * Roman Catholic Church,

Miercurea Ciuc Miercurea Ciuc (; ; ) is the county seat of Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, a mainly Hungarian-speaking ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, and is situated in the Olt River valley. The city administers three ...

, Romania (2001) * Reformed church on Donath street,

Cluj-Napoca Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...

, Romania (2008) * His group also oversaw th
Eco-Shelter
on the

Trust for Urban Ecology The Trust for Urban Ecology (TRUE) is a London-based ecological organisation and is part of The Conservation Volunteers (formerly BTCV) since April 2012. The Trust for Urban Ecology was founded in 1976 when ecologist Max Nicholson and a group of ...

site in

Stave Hill Russia Dock Woodland is a long narrow park in Rotherhithe, London, created by the infilling of one of the former Surrey Commercial Docks. The former Russia Dock was originally used for the importing of softwood timber from Norway, Russia and Swe ...

Park,

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe ( ) is a district of South London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, with the Isle of Dogs to the ea ...

, London, 1992. In association with the Prince's Trust * Pancho Arena, Felcsút (2014) * New Millennium Reformed Center,

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

, Romania (2019)

Gallery

File:Vigadó Szigetvár.jpg, Cultural Centre, Szigetvár (1985) File:Sevilla Expo 92-Pabellón de Hungría-1992 05 05.jpg, Hungarian Pavilion, Universal Exposition Sevilla 1992, Spain File:Eger uszoda Makovecz.jpg, Swimming Pool, Eger (2000) File:Hagymaház.JPG, OnionHouse Theatre, Makó (1995) File:Piliscsaba Stephaneum déli oldal.JPG, Stephaneum, Piliscsaba (1995) File:Makó Bus Station 2010 November 01.JPG, Bus terminal, Makó (2010) File:Stephaneum.jpg, Stephaneum

References

External links

* *
Gallery from Danish architecture site

Photos of buildings designed by Imre Makovecz in Hungary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Makovecz, Imre 1935 births 2011 deaths Architects from Budapest Ecclesiastical architects Hungarian Roman Catholics Organic architecture 20th-century Hungarian architects 21st-century Hungarian architects Burials at Farkasréti Cemetery