Dance centre in Hungary by Australian architecture firm wins international People's Choice Award

The Acticity Centre for Dance and Movement-based Arts in Hungary by Gall and Associates (Gall és Társai Épitésziroda) has won the People's Choice Award in the Australian Institute of Architects' 2024 International Chapter Architecture Awards.

The international awards program honours exceptional buildings that are designed by Australian architects but situated overseas.

The building, a 120-year-old Children's Hospital, had been vacant since 1995. In 2023, the European Capital of Culture in Veszprém decided to repurpose and reactivate the infrastructure to serve the needs of the community as a facility for movement and dance for all ages.

The former hospital now accommodates flexible spaces for movement-based activities, such as ballet, wall-climbing and folk dancing. The building now directly interacts with its surrounding context, featuring a new outdoor urban piazza and landscaped areas.

The project also earned an Award for Public Architecture in the international awards program, with the project team applauded by the jury for reviving "[…] a derelict but important brown field site, carefully knitting it back into the city fabric."

"The architects took an uninspiring collection of buildings and addressed a complicated brief with rigorous aplomb. They confidently addressed many challenging issues, including urban design and connectivity, the creation of new public space, as well as heritage, restoration and sustainability," commented the jury. "This is a fine example of placemaking and urban healing."

To view the full list of 2024 International Chapter Award winners, visit here.