🎬The new Chinese documentary "Hudec" is in production. The Beijing-based film crew from the China Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio visited Dr Eszter Jánossy, niece of L. E. Hudec, in Budapest to capture the original Hugyecz furniture from Banska Bystrica and record family stories for the 5-part documentary series.
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A roundtable discussion on the Hudec phenomenon and the screening of the Hudec documentary film
January 8, 2026
Program marking the 133rd birthday of László Hudec, held as part of the exhibition ‘Timeless Modernity – Hungarian Architectural Heritage in Shanghai’.
Participating speakers:
- Virág Csejdy, founder of the Hudec Cultural Foundation, family member
- Júlia Csejdy, art historian, researcher of the Budapest family archive, co-author of the Hudec book, family member
- Csaba Sárközi, architect
The architect’s legacy continuously raises the question of how a Hungarian World War I prisoner of war, arriving from Russian captivity, could achieve such remarkable success without connections or support. Was talent and determination enough? Did it also require luck, resilience, and openness? Perhaps all of these together—complemented by the ability to dream big.
How was László Hudec able to work across numerous architectural styles, simultaneously adapting to his clients’ needs while also shaping them? Above all, he was able to “sell” the most modern formal and technical solutions to his Chinese clients. This is one of the reasons he is still so highly regarded in Shanghai today, and why nearly 70 of his buildings continue to stand in the city.
Why has his oeuvre become especially significant for contemporary Chinese architectural history and heritage preservation?
Following the discussion, thanks to the China Media Group (CMG) and MTVA, a segment of CMG’s documentary film on László Hudec will be screened in Hungarian at a closed, invitation-only viewing.
Photos by Centrum Media
Exhibition showcasing László Hudec and his Hungarian contemporaries in Shanghai.
December 4, 2025
Here is the exhibition Timeless Modernity– Hungarian Architectural Heritage in Shanghai, accompanied by a roundtable discussion, held in the elegant building of the China Cultural Center in Budapest.
László Hudec and his Hungarian contemporaries in Shanghai—Károly Gonda, Béla Mátrai, and Rudolf Sömjén—together designed nearly 100 buildings that still define the cityscape today. Through archival reproductions, original documents, interviews, and interactive screens, visitors can explore their adventurous life stories, iconic buildings, and the transformation of Shanghai into a modern metropolis.
The main organizer of the exhibition is the Hungarian–Chinese Friendship Association. We are proud to have contributed to the realization of the exhibition as a professional partner. It was a truly special experience to welcome two descendants who had personally met the architects: Giora Sömjén, son of Rudolf Sömjén, and Dr. Eszter Jánossy, niece of László Hudec.
The exhibition is open until February 6.
Address: 1143 Budapest, Stefánia út 77
Opening hours: Tuesday–Saturday 10:00–12:00 and 13:30–17:00; closed on Sundays and Mondays
(Please ring the bell at the street entrance; the building entrance is accessible from the rear courtyard.)
On behalf of the Hudec Cultural Foundation, an opening address was delivered by Virág Csejdy:
“10,000 kilometers east of here, 107 years ago, this story began. It is an uplifting feeling to say these numbers out loud and to truly experience these distances in space and time. I am fortunate to have seen in Shanghai the architectural legacy created by László Hudec, Károly Gonda, Béla Mátrai, and Rudolf Sömjén. As the founder of the Hudec Cultural Foundation and a member of the Hudec family in Budapest, I have had the opportunity to experience this distance many times.
The story of the Foundation began in 2008, in an old villa apartment in Buda, in the home of Dr. Eszter Jánossy. There, we began unpacking the family legacy hidden deep in wardrobes and realized what extraordinary treasures my great-grandmother, Jolán Hugyecz—Eszter’s mother—had preserved for future generations. Since then, these treasures have given rise to exhibitions, publications, documentary films, collaborations, and even friendships, both in Hungary and in Shanghai.
How joyful it is that this story has not ended—on the contrary, it continues to grow and become richer, as this exhibition also demonstrates. As the head of the Foundation and a researcher of the legacy, my goal is for the preserved archive—and through it, Hudec’s life journey, imbued with world history, and his unparalleled architectural oeuvre—to inspire new collaborations and expand existing connections between the two cultures and the two countries, bridging the 10,000 kilometers of distance between them.”
Photos by Centrum Media, Hudec Cultural Foundation
Opening of the Hudec exhibition in the Christian Literature Society Building
October 4, 2024
The opening of the Inside Out / Hudec Code exhibition in Shanghai was a great success on September 30. The ceremonial event featured speeches by Szilárd Bolla, Consul General of Hungary, János Róbert Fülöp, Hungary's Consul for Education and Culture, Yang Yan representing the Shanghai International Cultural Association, Virág Csejdy, head of the Hudec Cultural Foundation and the exhibition's curator, as well as Xu Ming, a city historian and the exhibition's Chinese curator. The event was organized and moderated by the other Chinese curator of the exhibition, Hu Yihan. A video message from Alvin Hudec, one of Hudec’s grandchildren in Canada, also greeted the exhibition, thanks to whose help László Hudec's 16mm film footage was showcased.
The opening was attended by long-time experts and supporters of the Hudec theme, including Professor Hua Xiahong, journalist Michelle Qiao, Judit Nagy, president of the Hungarian-Chinese Friendship Society, Tina Kanagaratnam, head of Historic Shanghai, as well as representatives of Chinese and Hungarian media.
During the opening, Virág Csejdy, László Hudec's great-grandniece and caretaker of the family archive in Budapest, led a tour through the archival documents and photographs, sharing the stories behind them, including the content of Hudec's letters written in Hungarian and his handmade postcards.
The exhibition aims to showcase Hudec’s architectural legacy, his personality, and the city during the era of modernism. Through the use of striking contemporary design elements, the Chinese curators seek to promote the city’s multicultural values and history to a broader audience. Visitors can learn about László Hudec's family background, architectural training, adventurous life, and cultural openness through archival exhibits and documents. Particularly significant are the two portfolio album replicas in which Hudec's personally selected buildings come to life through period photographs.
The exhibition runs until January 8, 2025, with numerous related programs organized by Chinese partners. Information about these events can be found on the WeChat under the Chinese title Hudec Code (邬达克密码).
Exhibition crew
Concept:
Virág Csejdy
Production management:
Yihan Hu
Exhibition Text:
Ming Xu
Archive Material Expert:
Virág Csejdy
Graphic design: Chi Guan Creative
概念设计：Virág Csejdy
执行管理：胡艺瀚
文案撰写：徐明
文献整理：Virág Csejdy
展陈设计：尺观创意
New Hudec exhibition is coming in Shanghai.
September 4, 2024
The 100-day long exhibition opens on the 1st of october and represents a new opportunity to promote the Budapest archive in China. A fitting venue for this is the Christian Literature Society Building, designed by Hudec and completed in 1932, which also housed his architectural office for nearly 20 years. The building complex is notable for being a so-called "pendant" building, featuring two façades with distinct appearances and functions facing opposite directions. The Christian Literature Society Building, facing west, is now known in Chinese as Guang Xue Building, while the China Baptist Publication Society is situated to the east. Based on documents of the family archives, we know that László Hudec's younger brother, Géza, who worked in his brother's office until his tragic death in 1933, also contributed to the design of the two buildings. The complex began its renovation and re-functioning in 2010. Today, it operates fully modernized as one of ROCKBUND's key office buildings.
What is ROCKBUND? As they define themselves: "ROCKBUND is an art and cultural platform on the fringe — never ordinary or predictable, yet compelling and desirable. While on the fringe of culture, the brand is not out of reach and aims to make cultural experiences more accessible to the mainstream." see:
https://www.rockbund.com/en/page/detail/8bbKZ.html
Download the ENG or CN press release here:
Hudec in the Kunsthalle Budapest
December 8, 2023
🎉Hudec has arrived to the Műcsarnok - Kunsthalle Budapest! An exciting exhibition will feature Hudec objects, including this painting. This portrait of L.E. Hudec was painted in Shanghai in 1935 by 👨🎨László Tatz (1888-1951), a native of Máriapócs, who had a great career in Asia, and this work has never been shown anywhere before. We were delighted to loan this artwork sent to the Foundation by American relatives for the exhibition opening on the 14th of December. Several documents from the rich Hudec heritage in Budapest will be on display. It is worth visiting for all interested in architecture, Asia, cross-cultural stories, and more. Info about the exhibition HERE
Documentary shootings in Budapest
June 2, 2023
Hudec-house in today's Panyu Lu
January 10, 2013
The Hudec family lived in this house from 1930. The building was designed by László Hudec in the English Tudor style. The house's large garden was the ideal setting for the childhood of the 3 children, Martin, Theo and Alessa. The building is functioning as Hudec Memorial Hall (HMH) today, where professional exhibitions and events take place. On the occasion of the opening ceremony, on the 120th anniversary of the architect's birth, on 8th of January 2013, pieces of the Budapest legacy were also on display, thus strengthening Sino-Hungarian cultural relations. The event was covered in detail by Hungarian and Shanghai TV.