2011 – The Modern Flat, 1960

The Modern Flat, 1960. The Óbuda Experiment

Staged in the church space of Kiscell Museum in 2011, the exhibition introduced the Óbuda Experimental Housing Estate brought to life as a special development in 1959-64. The birth of this Housing Estate had special significance because it represented the rejection of earlier living spaces and the advent of a radical transformation in the spaces of private life. The outcome of this major change was the establishment of today’s home culture with its new types of furniture. The backbone of the exhibition comprised ground-plans and original façade designs kept in the Museum’s Architectural collection, as well as old and new photos. Sets of custom-made and mass-produced furniture were also exhibited, but the greatest appeal to the visitors was exerted by the 1:1 scale model of a flat built of drywalls. The flat was wholly traversable, the furniture pieces could be looked at closely and tried out. The kitchen was equipped with standard built-in kitchen furniture and a gas cooker bought from a flat of the Estate so as to provide an all-round impression. The exhibition was curated by Márta Branczik.