Interviews with two representatives each of ten areas of applied and desing art on their own careers and the current state of profession | The artists talked to Hedvig Dvorszky and László Attila Márton

- How did you find your way to the area in which you became a well-known and recognised artist?
- In which of your works do you think you succeeded in realising the objectives you had set?
- What is the current situation and the future of your profession like? What are its opportunities?

I worked as an interior architect for the architectural firm KOZTI for twenty years (1973–l993). In KOZTI I worked together with the architects of the medical planning department and specialised in the interior architecture of the hospitals and clinics they designed, since it was the main profile of our office. Besides such large-scale development projects, I also participated in the reconstruction planning of the Petőfi Theatre in Veszprem in 1988, which was a special task for me. It was around the same time that I designed the interiors for several recreational facilities and shops both in and outside of Budapest, as well as furniture and other furnishings with a unique design.

In 1995 I and my wife established our own architect studio called Szenes Design Studio. Despite the difficulties we faced, it was in this period that I and my partners were able to develop in the most versatile way. Just to mention of few of our hotel and hospitality projects: Novotel hotels (Palace, Danube), Europa Fit Hotel in Heviz, reconstruction of the Ybl Palace in Budapest, the Degenfeld Castle Hotel, the Anna Grand Hotel in Balatonfured, and the Hilton in Visegrad. At the same time, we were entrusted with the renovation projects of Hungarian institutions abroad (Moscow, Brussels, and Prague). Another outstanding project was the reconstruction of the Urania National Film Theatre in Budapest in a historicising style, which I did together with architect Istvan Manyi, and for which we won the Europa Nostra Award in 2002.

I believe that interior architecture is a profession in its own right. In my work I strive to realise harmony and balance enabling future users to pick up on the positive signs that makes them feel safe. I have always believed that our external and internal environment are crucial to the unravelling of what is best in man, and that we, interior architects, must constantly develop our knowledge in this regard and pass it down to the next generation.

Interview conducted by Hedvig Dvorszky

The most important thing in this profession is that the spaces we create or shape should ‘work’, function, and be able to change. So that the boundaries that provide the framework for our senses should make us more whole, depending on the given needs. There are many subtle tools to realise this, which we sometimes only feel: lights, materials, temperature. Interior architecture is a journey of sorts, through space and into the future. How will people live and work in the space I create? How will my design work? It is an immense responsibility, but also team work, with the same objective every time: to make people’s everyday reality and lives nicer, better and easier. I do hope that spaces can engender more sensitivity, subtlety and harmony when that happens to be its purpose. But sometimes spaces are intended to shock or be extreme.

It is really exciting to design spaces harmonised with the needs of people in various situations. The spatial organisation of a home affects the dynamics of the everyday life of its residents, and subtle details influence their micro perceptions. I often open up walls between spaces and use transparent surfaces; these might not be functionally necessary but impact the experience of space. I also find it important that the same space should have several functions, flexibly adapting to the times of day or, in the long run, the growing number of a family.

Architects can set their imagination free in a different way. They can combine unconventional materials, or use technical solutions that first do not look fitting. Subtle or direct allusions can also add a little extra to a place; for example, when wickerwork is used in the interior of a modern restaurant. In this particular case, the wicker covering for the bottom of concrete columns was made by artisans who prior to that had only woven baskets for days on end.

Interior architecture can be done in many ways. If we look at our profession as “serving”, the most important thing is that the result should be seen as perfect by those for whom it is intended, and interior architects contribute to this with their knowledge. We must take responsibility for what our designs express, we should make sure that our spaces provide a functional, pleasant and positive living environment – and all this should be combined with a controlled, sustainable approach. It is long-term sustainability and not a replacement-oriented consumer attitude that should dominate.

Interview conducted by Attila Márton László