Millenáris Széllkapu park, Budapest

A 3D vertical garden, echoes of Hungarian fields, forests and lakes, a symbolic group of \’solar mushrooms\’ and a two-level underground parking system: some of the highlights of Budapest\’s latest city park, Széllkapu (Gate of Winds) designed for a former industrial area by TSPC Group. The name Széllkapu Park (Gate of Winds) refers to the much needed clean winds that freshen the air of the busy capital; architects created a light wind tunnel so that the closeness to nature is not only symbolic but something that can be touched, sensed and also breathed in. Buildings frame the entrance and exit slopes of the parking garage to protect the park from traffic noise and air pollution from the neighbouring streets; this creative recreational area is aiming to be the Central European symbol of conscious architectural and landscape design, creating spaces that are both spectacular and intimate for 21-st century city life.