Museum of the Benedictine Abbey

Locality: 8237 Tihany, I. András tér 1., Hungary
Client: Hungarian Benedictine Congregation St. Ányos Benedictine Monastery
Area: 261 + 278 m2
Year: 2020

It’s a special honor to be able to design in a unique place that is dear to your heart. This is how we felt when we were given the opportunity to design the historical exhibition in the basement of the abbey in Tihany and to rethink its visitor spaces. The task was particularly challenging, especially because the exhibition “Soul over the Waters” had to be realised in the darkness of the old cellar walls. The cellar rooms, which are located under the monastery and presumably grew organically, are partly medieval in origin and have been converted in the Baroque period, and their form and design are completely different. The historic spaces are divided into 4 different sections and a narrow passage is wedged between the first two rooms, creating a really exciting, but not uniform, series of narrow spaces.

The uninsulated cellar and the extra humidity from the proximity of Lake Balaton are not ideal conditions for an exhibition. A further factor was that the existing cladding and wall surfaces of the recently restored underground spaces could only be touched in a minimal way, without damaging the structural elements, which was limited by the tight budget. It was possible to demolish the 20-25 cm of wall edging that framed the herringbone pattern flooring, and to cut the 4-5 cm thick rough plaster with minimal space for wiring. The basement could not be retro-insulated this time either, the air conditions were improved by opening up ventilation ducts that had been blocked up over time, and dehumidification equipment was installed in the still critical areas.

In the creation of the concept, we have tried to forge virtues out of particular characteristics. A large part of the exhibit was placed in the basement spaces, which we painted black, evoking the primordial darkness where the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. In this quasi-studio space, light reflections were minimal, allowing the light installations to float in a truly ethereal way. To reinforce the concept of the abbey and the curator, we used the description of the beginning of creation (Genesis 1:2) as the setting.

The visitor arrives at the exhibition after visiting the church and the Royal Crypt, and does not immediately enter the basement. First passes through a section on the ground floor, where the exhibition in a former monastery room presents a geographical and historical view of the whole Tihany peninsula and outlines the role of the abbey in its development. Meanwhile, in the corridor, you can admire the ornamental garden through windows opening onto the inner courtyard and, as part of the exhibition, you will find information about its layout and the various herbs it contains. You will also be given a small insight into the layout of the spaces typical of the abbey building (cloisters, monastic cells).

With the uniform use of materials and the graphic design of the exhibition elements, this space is also visually linked to the basement, but when visitors descend into the basement, they find themselves in a completely different atmosphere. A dark-toned row of rooms, reminiscent of medieval catacombs, welcomes guests, with light coming in from the floating opal plexiglass slits that carry the message. These bodies of light guide the visitor almost involuntarily around them. The most important figures in the story also appear as floating light drawings set in space. The glowing surfaces and the darkened vaults lend a sense of solemnity to the spaces, helping to immerse the viewer in the content.

Taking into account the physical characteristics of the building, the exhibition concept was to include relatively few original objects. However, they are all the more important and are linked to a particular event or period. Depending on their size and type, the objects are either integrated into the shiny bodies or arranged in the dark-coloured central shelves in a way that allows them to be walked around.

The first large hall of the exhibition explores the founding of the abbey and the closely related legend of the abbey, through the letter of foundation, surviving medieval written records and architectural fragments. It summarizes all that research has revealed about this period to date. The centerpiece is the only known depiction of the founding king and a valuable copy of the incorporation charter.

The second room deals with the period of reconstruction after the Turkish occupation, during which the building complex took on its present form and its current order of use.

In the third room, we commemorate the former abbots, highlighting the leaders of the decisive building periods and the personal objects of high artistic value directly related to them. We can learn here, how they shaped the destiny of the abbey and the surrounding community over the centuries.

In the last room, you can get an insight into the life of the abbey today. You will get a taste of the daily life of the monks and the varied activities they carry out inside and outside the Abbey walls. In a fictitious monastic cell, we get to know them a little better through their favourite readings and personal accounts.

The exhibition takes you out of the ordinary and into a more abstract world, presenting the history of the abbey in an experiential way. With lights, sounds and smells, it appeals to all the senses.

architecture,	Csaba Balogh, Ágnes Deigner, Levente Sirokai, Péter Sónicz
interior design:	Krisztina Ancza, Zsófia Dombrovszky, Zsófia Iván, Soma Pádár, Dániel Szitka, Dávid Toronyi, Ági Vértesy
electrical engineering:	Judit Balázs \| Artvill Kft.
building service engineering:	Attila Lucz \| HVArC Kft.
fire protection:	György Decsi \| Fireeng Kft.
curator:	Mariann Szlavkovszky
graphic design:	György Mihalkov
photography:	Krisztina Ancza

publications:	2022 Építészfórum – A Bencés Apátsági Kiállítás és Galéria

Museum of the Benedictine Abbey – Tihany