Faurest, Kristin: Ten spaces - Our Budapest (Budapest, 2010)

Kós Károly tér

houses and public buildings. The proximity of the houses to one another provides some level of privacy, yet is quite conducive to neighborly interactions. It has what such a planned development ought to have - the perfect balance between unity and variety. Everything is in harmony with everything else, yet there is no monotony. It is a true gesamtkunstwerk - every element of it an expression of a unified style. Even the signage of many of the shop portals harmonizes with the architecture, something we don't see many other places in Budapest. Visiting it begs the question of why this kind of exemplary neighbourhood planning was not done, well, everywhere?

At the heart of the Wekerle we find Kos Károly tér, cosily embraced by houses with expressive and elegant wooden ornamentation. The square is defined by the unbroken architectural surroundings and its stately trees. It also has an attractive new playground, frequently buzzing with neighbourhood kids.

The whole Wekerle Estate itself began as a socially-progressive way of improving the quality of life for massive numbers of the working class, many of them new to the city. The original residents of the Wekerle were mostly unknown to each other, settled from every point of the country. They were a cross section of Hungary itself, coming from all counties and a mix of religions and ethnic backgrounds, but any ethnic diversity or specific expressions were quickly assimilated into the community itself. Row houses and small blocks of flats, as well as other types of dwelling structures, were built here for more than 20,000 people from 1909—26, addressing an enormous housing crisis of the time that had forced many workers to rent at exploitative prices in crowded, unhealthy slums. This massive affordable housing shortage occurred after the last quarter of the 19th century, when Budapest’s population grew to 2 'h times its previous level. Industry was growing exponentially and the countryside was stagnating, which meant large numbers of rural immigrants in need of affordable housing came to the city. Construction couldn’t keep pace with the expanding population, especially since the prices of materials and salaries were rapidly increasing and inflation was high. A cheap, well-serviced housing estate based on the English garden city model was the solution to the crisis, initiated primarily by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sándor Wekerle and Budapest mayor István Bárczy. Garden cities - the concept first espoused by Ebenezer

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