The Aspects of Urban Character in József Kerényi's Works in the Great Hungarian Plain

Abstract

József Kerényi's work at the Bács-Kiskun County Planning Company (BÁCSTERV) between 1964 and 1984 is significant both for the built heritage of the county and its centre, Kecskemét and for the history of Hungarian architecture and urban planning.
While several aspects of Kerényi's architectural legacy have been studied, a focus on the urban scale aspects of his oeuvre has been lacking. This study examines his oeuvre from the perspective of urban context and urban character. Additionally, beyond individual buildings, this study incorporates his urban-scale projects into the analysis. The research focuses on Kerényi's interpretation of heritage and his responses to urban character. The study addresses the relationship between historical urban fabric and new developments, the interpretation and evaluation of historical urban fabric, the concept of rehabilitation, and the relationship between architecture and urban planning. The research aims to uncover the planning processes and theoretical approaches that help to understand and contextualise Kerényi's activities in the Great Hungarian Plain. The investigation targets the cityscape and urban structure dilemmas and how city character influenced the answers to these questions. Furthermore, the study seeks to examine how Kerényi's ideas relate to both Hungarian and international trends of the period.