Lehel Csarnok, Budapest

Lehel Csarnok is a market hall, and its striking form quickly earned it the nickname Kofahajó, meaning “Market Boat.” Rajk László designed the building, which opened in 2002 after replacing the former Lehel Square market. Look at the round porthole-like windows along the park-facing side and the slanting flagpole above the main entrance: together with the stern-like treatment at the Váci út and Gogol utca corner, they give the hall its nautical character.

The building’s steel frame and glass roof recall the great market halls of an earlier era, while planters above the heavy columns bring vegetation into the design. Inside, the public market occupies the ground floor and gallery level. Around eighty farmer-producer stalls are arranged around a recreated version of the old market’s layout, with shops following the former circulation pattern.

The underground level includes unloading space and a smaller market reached directly from the M3 metro passage. Since opening, the building has provoked strong reactions from architects, critics, and the public. Its vivid, unconventional architecture remains one of the notable works of Hungarian postmodernism.