DECODE 2024 Spring Award Ceremony

On 18 April the DECODE 2024 Award Ceremony was held and the exhibition of the winner projects was opened. The mission of DECODE is not only to fathom and keep in focus the concepts behind the creations, but also to introduce the artistic motivation and thus inspire others, initiate conversations and debates. In order to support this, our foundation announced a competition for young architects and artists in the categories of Architecture, Visual Arts and Applied Arts. Applicants were requested to introduce their creative thoughts through their own projects and present them in a maximum three minute long media file. Submissions were assessed by a prestigious jury of prominent architects and artists. The judging committee awarded one Main Prize per category and 2 Promising Project Prize per category as well as one Spotlight Sponsor Prize, which was again presented to recognize creative works that serve and promote society. The total prize pool for the competition in the two categories was a combined net amount of 2,100,000 Hungarian Forints. The exhibition organized from the submitted artifacts can be visited from April 19 to 25, 2024, at the aqb Project Space (1222 Budapest, Nagytétényi út 48-50). The main supporters of the Award are the founding BORD Architectural Studio alongside with Be Light! and the Embassy of the Netherlands. The event's media partner is Octogon Architecture & Design Magazine. Further supporters of the event are: Alukönigstahl Kft, Sauska & Társa Kft. and Szinorg Universal Zrt.

The DECODE events have been organized for the sixth time, but as this year’s name: DECODE 2024 Spring suggests, with a brand new timing. A total of 47 submissions arrived for the competition, 20 in the Category of Architecture and 27 in the Category of Visual and Applied Arts, out of which a professional jury selected the most outstanding works.

The members of the jury are: Péter Bordás, Ybl Prize-winning architect, founder and owner of BORD Architectural Studio, chairman of the jury, founder of the DECODE Contemporary Architectural and Art Foundation, and President of its Board of Trustees, Inemesit Etentuk, cultural manager, founder of Artlocator Magazine, Dr. Anthony Gall Phd, Ybl and Pro Architectura Prize-winning architect, professor and dean of the Ybl Miklós Faculty of Architecture at Óbuda University, János Golda, Ybl and Pro Architectura Prize-winning architect, regular member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, Borbála Kálmán, curator and art historian at the Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art, Dr. Krisztián Kukla, Art Director of aqb (art quarter budapest), Ildikó Pém, founder and owner of BORD Architectural Studio, founder of the DECODE Contemporary Architectural and Art Foundation, and member of its board of trustees, Erika Schneider, communication consultant, Levente Szabó, DLA, Ybl, Pro Architectura, and Príma Prize-winning architect, head of the Department of Public Building Design at the Faculty of Architecture of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics

The judging committee awarded 1 Main Prize and 2 “Promising Project” awards in each category from the submissions. The total prize pool for the competition in the two categories was a combined net amount of 2,100,000 Hungarian Forints. Along with the main prize, a custom-designed trophy by Fruzsina Zalavári was also associated. This year, all three awardees in the Architecture Category will receive a five-day study trip to the Netherlands, courtesy of the Budapest Embassy of the Netherlands. The DECODE Spotlight Special Prize was awarded for the fourth time this year, honoring creative works that serve and promote society. The special prize, sponsored by Be Light!, consists of a design lighting fixture.

From the received submissions, the jury selected 17 works for inclusion in the exhibition. The exhibition took place at the aqb Project Space Exhibition Hall. Located in the former Haggenmacher Brewery, this contemporary art center not only houses exhibition spaces but also hosts an artist residency program, turning it into a true melting pot of cultural life in Budapest, welcoming artists, musicians, dancers, and creatives from various fields. In the exhibition hall with its wooden pillar frames and rustic atmosphere, this year’s exhibited projects are displayed on huge LED walls, accompanied by artworks related to the short films. The exhibition is open for visitation from April 19 to 25, during the times indicated in the Facebook event. Following the exhibition, the awarded and shortlisted works will be uploaded to the digital film archive of the DECODE Youtube Channel, making them accessible to everyone and providing inspiration for future creators.