“The Budapest-based Szövetség’39 creative team has won the Grand Prix in the category ’Architecture and sea level rise’ awarded by the International Architecture Competition organized by the Jacques Rougerie Foundation. The young Hungarian designers’ project called CALTROPe answered the challenge caused by loss of territory due to the water level rise in an innovative and sustainable manner.

The aim of the project is to synthesize and balance the natural dynamics and forces of the delta regions applying an easy-to-install modular structure. CALTROPe is a lace-like structure that is able to catch and collect river sediment with the help of mangrove plants, so integrating natural and architectural elements. Working like a catalyst, it will provoke positive changes at the most critical shoreline points. With this cooperative, participatory and locally supplied work can also reorganize and socialize the local population in a constructive and self-supporting manner.

CALTROPe comes from the words ‘caltrop’ (water chestnut) and ‘rope’, ‘caltrop’ referring to the shape of the object, and ‘rope’, to the linear, lace-like installation principles.

The concept of CALTROPe has been set up by Szövetség’39 Art Base that focuses usually on especially complex artistic planning. In this case the members of the team were Anna Baróthy, leading designer and project manager of Szövetség’39, Gerg? Balázs biologist and diver, Janka Csernák designer, Dr. Viktor Grónás senior lecturer of the Szent István University’s Nature Conservation and Ecology Department, diver, Peter Kovacsics graphic and animation designer, Viktor Pucsek and Peter Vet? industrial and 3D designers. The project staff was Melinda Bozsó, designer of Szövetség’39, Daniel Csomor architect, Kata Kerekes graphic designer, Vera Krauth architecture student, Ábel Kurta and Veronika Szabó product design students and Nóra Lajkó student in fine arts and painting.

This spring the Jacques Rougerie Foundation announced an international architectural competition in three categories. The call for a total of 529 entries were submitted from 76 countries of the world, out of which CALTROPe won the grand-prix. The competition is named after Jacques Rougerie who is one of the world’s most innovative visionary architects. Rougerie is an expert in space and underwater structures – he has designed the soon-to-be first underwater museum in Egypt and the SeaOrbiter that is a cross between a skyscraper and a boat for exploring the unchartered territories of the earth’s oceans.”

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