Újirány Group

"Development in the scenes of technology, science, economy and media constantly results changes in the demands of society. The cue of time is revaluated in the process of spatial design, as flexible concepts are needed to be set up to reflect on these changing demands. The role of concepts becomes more and more essential, legalizing the given plan. Our concepts are points determined by the coordinates of time and space, which create new meanings and value, meanwhile becoming new starting points of new design processes, to assure continuity. Mapping these points in a system of coordinates the concepts are starting points from which the inspired plans draw up the direction of the vectors. These create the new directions within the system."

– Újirány Group 2002

Újirány Group was founded on the occasion of the winning design for the Millenary Park. The aim of the group (as the name New Directions indicates) is to reflect on new urban challenges we are faced by the ever changing world around us drawing up new directions and possibilities of development. The works developed by Újirány try to answer questions raised by the given time and space, which gives strong conceptual basis for each work and sets ground for the landscape design. In the midst of an inevitable paradigm shift heading towards a ‘sustainist’ era we are committed to take active part in promoting the social aspects of sustainability. We take part in the international discourse on urban issues in the form of publications, workshops, installations, conferences and exhibitions.

The founders of the office were young architects and landscape architects: Dorottya Czinki, Árpád Kovács, Gábor Lendvai, Johanna Muszbek, Péter Pozsár, Gábor Szohr és Dominika Tihanyi. In 2006 Újirány Group was divided into two counterparts: Újirány / New Directions Landscape Architects (Árpád Kovács, Gábor Szohr, Dominika Tihanyi) and UIArchitects (Johanna Muszbek, Péter Pozsár). In 2010 UiArchitects evolved into the Hello Wood formation, hence since 2010 Újirány Group consists of New Directions Landscape Architects working on urban, landscape, public art/installation and community-based design projects.

Projects of New Directions Landscape Architects range on a large scale: garden and landscape design (Millenary Park, Paulay gardens), urban rehabilitation and urban design (Etele square), exhibition design (Modern and Organic: London-RIBA, Glasgow-The Lighthouse), installation design (Labirinth - Bp 100), urban regeneration projects (Corvin-Szigony Project), art based research work (The Faulheit Project), public art works (Budapest Plage ’03, „You are Here!”-The Atlantis Project) and community design projects (Teleki Square). All the works connect to the city in one way or another and the people using it, which is the starting point in all cases of urban regeneration and design process - setting up an organic structure that connects the different scales of design.

Awards:

2016 – FIABCI-award, environmental rehabilitation category: Teleki Square, 1st prize

2015 – Landscape Architect of the Year - Újirány Landscape Architects Ltd.

2013 – Shortlisted for Landscape Architect of the Year - Dominika Tihanyi, MÖFÖSZ special award

2013 – Knight Cross Award of the Hungarian Republic, Árpád Kovács

2010 – Award of the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office, Újirány Group

2009 – Award for the Garden of the Year: Balatonakarattya Garden, 4th prize

2009 – Award for the Garden of the Year: Paulay Garden, 2nd prize

2009 – ASLA-award, Communication category: Pollmap – Interactive Mapping Project

2007 – Golden Cross Award of the Hungarian Republic, Johanna Muszbek, Dominika Tihanyi

2004 – Young Professionals in Architecture, Johanna Muszbek, Dominika Tihanyi

2003 – Europa Nostra Award for the Millenary Park (European Award for architectural rehabilitation)

2001 – Architectural Award of the City Budapest – Millenary Park, buildings and park