Public buildings that have lost their function, industrial facilities awaiting recycling, the urban built heritage through an architect's eye - for many years now, KÉK has been successfully taking adventurous individuals on urban walks. These alternative urban walks uncover the less-known, yet incredibly exciting places and spaces of Budapest, or present everyday architectural values from new perspectives. Over the years, we have organised classic urban walks, special exclusive building tours, and thematic series.
URBAN WALKS
Since 2008, KÉK has been regularly organising guided urban walks for professional groups, as well as anyone interested in architecture and urbanism. Our walks are always led by architects and other experts from allied sciences who can speak authentically about the given topic. In our repertoire, you can find classic downtown architectural walks, routes showcasing certain districts, topics organised along specific architectural styles, urban planning issues, and even ventures into industrial areas. In addition to advertised events, we often join city festivals and events, showcasing the characteristics of the built environment through new themes. In recent years, we have cooperated with Budapest100, the Csepel Works: Open Factories Weekend, the ArchiKids festival, and participated in the Theatre Night and Bike to Work! campaign.
We also create customised walks upon individual request, even developing new themes. Budapest was discovered with us by the DVM Group, Brick Visual, Bánáti+Hartvig architectural office, the French Institute, guests of the Korean Cultural Institute, employees of the Ministry of Finance, and numerous Hungarian and foreign university groups (BME, MOME, CEU, ELTE, University of Debrecen, University of Brighton, University of Ajman, TU Wien, AA School of Architecture, Manchester School of Architecture, TU Braunschweig, and many more). We regularly collaborate with the organisers of Guiding Architects Budapest.
BUILDING TOURS
One of KÉK's specialities is organising building tours. Our alternative tours are always led by experts who are intimately familiar with the building details. In previous years, we have gained access to the National Electrical Grid Control Building, the Kelenföld Power Plant, the North Pest Hospital, and the OPNI Lipótmezei building, and enthusiasts got their first look at the stations of the developing Metro Line 4. From 2020 onwards, we began a thematic series and organised tours of late modern buildings built in the second half of the 20th century, in connection with the Othernity exhibition at the Hungarian Pavilion of the Venice Architectural Biennale.
MISSION
In the KÉK Urban Walks project, we are proud that our walks can also make the discourse around the built environment more active. Thanks to our Unparalleled Budapest collection, you can easily discover your own living environment. Our walks are regularly reported by online news portals (Építészfórum, We Love Budapest, Hype & Hyper). Our staff regularly participate in academic lectures, international workshops (Jane’s Walk Seminar, Zagreb 2019; AA Visiting School Budapest: The Uncommon Walk 2018; AIA Architecture & Children conference Budapest 2019). A doctoral research is ongoing at the Department of Urbanism at BME in relation to city walks organised by KÉK. We are always open to new collaborations and new projects. Our professional tour guides are university teachers, practising architects, art historians, and urbanists who are happy to compile customised routes as well.
