GULAG–GUPVI Memorial Site and Memorial Park

DVM participated as lead designer in the development of the GULAG–GUPVI Memorial Site and Memorial Park on the grounds of the former Hussar barracks in Cegléd. The aim of the project was to rehabilitate a historically significant barracks building constructed in 1905 and give it a contemporary cultural function, creating a dignified memorial to the Hungarian victims deported to Soviet labour camps.

The former cavalry barracks’ enlisted men’s building is being reborn as a new visitor centre and exhibition space. While preserving the historic building, the project introduces architectural interventions that are clearly distinguishable from the original structure, yet sensitively connected to its heritage values. The new main entrance is emphasised by a contemporary forebuilding that accommodates the reception area, ticket office, information point and cloakroom.

The central element of the interior spatial organisation is a two-storey, double-height atrium created through the partial removal of the former floor structure. This new central space serves both as an event venue and an exhibition area, linking the building’s various functional units. The ground floor houses museum education spaces, a lecture hall, museum shop and café, while the upper levels accommodate permanent and temporary exhibitions, as well as research and administrative functions.

The transformation of the attic resulted in two spaces of distinct character: on one side, an exhibition space created with the preservation of the original roof structure; on the other, a multifunctional event space housed within a contemporary rooftop extension. A lookout point will be created at roof level, establishing a visual connection with the memorial park and the former camp area.

The materiality of the new architectural elements forms a deliberate contrast with the historic building. Dark, thermally treated timber cladding and corten steel details give the building a contemporary appearance, while symbolically referencing the railway wagons used in the deportation of prisoners.

The memorial park, an integral part of the project, is based on a narrative landscape architecture concept. The visitor route evokes the hardships endured by prisoners: fragmented pavements, gradually thinning vegetation, dead ends and symbolic installations all contribute to the spatial representation of the world of forced labour camps. Distinctive elements of the memorial park include the sunken memorial space and the watchtower symbol, recalling the sense of confinement and hopelessness.

By bringing together historical memory, contemporary architecture and landscape architecture, the project creates a cultural venue that functions simultaneously as a memorial site, educational centre and community space.