Community Garden: the installation that celebrates the unity of local cultures

A forest suspended in time, a living monument that grows day by day, a symbol of cooperation and resilience. The Garden of Communities, the new public installation by the architecture studio Hello Wood, is a visual and living narrative that combines the memory of the past and the hope for the future, welcoming within it the rich diversity of the Veszprém-Balaton region.

A work that encapsulates the essence of the community

At the heart of Factory'ard in Veszprém, the pulsating core of the European Capital of Culture 2023, stands a miniature forest: 116 young trees, each housed in an elegant geometric planter, rise to represent the 116 municipalities participating in the program.

Each tree tells a story, carrying with it the name of its municipality and, symbolically, the memories and values of that community, but this project is not just an ode to nature and culture. It is an architectural metaphor of the power of cooperation. "For each participating municipality, we designed a unique planter," explains Balázs Szelecsényi of Hello Wood, the architect behind this vision. "Together, they form a Garden of Communities that promotes the eternal values of collaboration."

A sensory experience in the heart of the city

Walking through the Community Garden, visitors are not just exploring a sculpture but a vibrant and ever-evolving environment. The bold and geometrically shaped planters stand out in contrast to the lush greenery of the trees. The result is an almost dreamlike space, where nature and architecture blend to create a magical atmosphere that invites discovery, reflection, and pause.

Each planter, containing native trees of the region, contributes to creating a sort of vertical garden that will grow and strengthen with the passing seasons. This natural microcosm is not left to its own devices: an automated irrigation system constantly cares for the plant growth, ensuring that each tree receives the water and sunlight it needs, just as it happens in nature.

The story in wood and landscape

The site chosen for the urban architecture project is steeped in history. For over 120 years, the area that now houses the Community Garden was home to one of the largest furniture factories in the region. Hello Wood has decided to pay tribute to this past with a special touch: the planters are clad in larch wood recovered from the Drechsler Palace in Budapest, recently restored. This wood, nearly 120 years old, becomes a tangible symbol of the dialogue between past and present, between what has been and what will be.

A future rooted in the territory

The installation is not meant to remain static. After four years, each planter will be returned to its original municipality, and the trees will be planted in the ground to grow as living symbols of the unity achieved in 2023. These trees, which are young saplings today, will one day become majestic, rooting in the landscape the message of collaboration and resilience that the Garden of Communities aimed to convey. Until then, the installation will continue to exist as a point of reference for visitors to Veszprém.

An architecture that speaks of connection

The Garden of Communities reminds us that architecture can be a powerful means to tell stories of unity and hope. A project that intertwines culture, nature, and historical memory in a living work, destined to leave a lasting mark on the communities it represents.

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Hello Wood

Fő tér 1, Budapest 1033, Ungheria