The Hungarian design team led by Tamás Lévai and Ágnes Jószai has won the first prize worth €40,000 in an international competition to design the New Maribor Art Gallery in Maribor, Slovenia. The competition was announced in conjunction with Maribor’s upcoming role as the European Capital of Culture in 2012.
The winning Hungarian pavilion design for the World Expo 2010 Shanghai uses as its central element the so-called Gömböc. Invented by two Hungarian engineers, Gábor Domokos and Péter Várkonyi, the Gomboc is the world’s first self-righting object.
Designed by Tamás Lévai, the pavilion approached the Expo’s theme “Better City, Better Life” in a philosophical way. By highlighting Hungarian creativity, the pavilion’s design is based on a specific feature, the Gomboc, rather than entertaining visitors with shows and exhibits. The architecture and design of the pavilion itself expresses Hungary’s main message. In addition, the Gomboc has a close, ideological relationship with Yin Yang, both symbolizing the pursuit of balance and harmony. According to Lévai, “This is what Hungarians wish to achieve in urban development as well.”
