The Lake In Transition - LINA Fellowship
The Lake In Transition - LINA Fellowship
THE LAKE IN TRANSITION is an ongoing interdisciplinary research, educational, and awareness-raising project led by the ecological-cultural initiative szabadonbalaton (and PAD) and the architect duo GUBAHÁMORI located on CEE's largest lake, Balaton, Hungary. The omnipresence of humans, extensive tourism, relentless infrastructural development, artificially regulated water levels, and the growing use of the shoreline and surrounding land pose threats to the ecosystems, especially the transition zone of lake Balaton, which harbours the richest biodiversity.
The teams joined forces to rethink the issues of ‘shore squeeze’, with a particular focus on the most heavily used spaces: the beaches.
GUBAHÁMORI incorporated their architectural and urban design proposal for a new beach typology, emphasising a land-use regeneration strategy that considers all actors in the transition zone beyond humans. The concept challenges the municipality's extensive built development plans, reducing their scale, utility demands, and spatial-urban arrangements. It allocates space for natural habitats to foster coexistence between the built and non-built environment.
szabadonbalaton initiated research-based ecological cultural projects in order to raise public awareness and support decision-making related to the long-term ecological, socio-economic sustainability Balaton. They organised the program series BALATORIUM in the framework of ECoC VEB2023, hosted meetups, artist residency programs, performative walks, public art events, university courses, and communication campaigns on key ecological themes. It featured an ecological and cultural festival, with the shorezone theme remaining one of the key topics.
The initiative will continue as the team participates in public forums and offers professional support for municipalities, ensuring that socio-ecological aspects are considered in regional development plans. The ultimate goal is to implement a multipurpose shore rehabilitation project.
Collaborators
GUBAHÁMORI is an architecture and urban design studio focusing on the correlation between natural and built environment.
They usually integrate other experts in their works from different scientific fields (illustrators, visual artists, ecologists, urban development professionals).
