Please introduce yourself and tell us about your background in architecture

Sure. My name is Rita Vízkelety, and I graduated as an Architect from Budapest University of Technology and Economics. I just turned 40 this year, we have two kids with my husband Marci, and for the past 10 years, we’ve been working together at URBA.

How did URBA come about?

Initially, we started out working on ruin pubs in Budapest. It was the peak of the last economic crisis, which slowed down the construction industry and at this time, many unrealized projects in the city center were transformed into ruin pubs, which have since become unique to Budapest. Our first major success was with the team at Anker, creating Anker't, one of the city’s largest ruin bars with a large open-air garden that hosted many cool parties throughout the years. Its success set the stage for our future projects in downtown Budapest, like Ramenka, a soup spot, or HelloBaby bar — both were a hit with locals and tourists alike. These projects put us on the map and marked the beginning of our journey in transforming and designing one-of-a-kind spaces.

URBA has made an impact on the city landscape, how did the studio evolve into what it is today?

Within 10 years, we’ve grown URBA into a dynamic group of 9 experienced architects, and interior and graphic designers, working across residential, hospitality, and service industries with offices in Budapest and Vienna. It was a conscious decision to keep our core team small and stable, creating a familial atmosphere. We also work with external collaborators who help us with our communications and finance. 

One milestone was working on Börze bar and restaurant, where we developed a slightly more detailed and elegant design style which has since become our signature. About three or four years ago, we opened a showroom in Vienna in partnership with a local firm, showcasing our work there. We’ve also collaborated extensively with Nanushka, Hungary's leading fashion brand, on their Budapest flagship store and a pop-up shop in Los Angeles. These experiences were instrumental in shaping our approach and broadening our portfolio.

On my part, the intensity of my involvement changed as we started our own family. When I was at home with the kids, Marci took on more of the business side of things and became the face of the company. In recent years, to ease the workload, we found it worked well to separate our projects, and I’ve focused on more defined projects, like a house by Lake Balaton, which I designed independently. 

URBA has also started working with larger architectural firms on interior design projects. Can you tell us more about that process?

Yes, as our portfolio grew, we had the opportunity to work with major architectural firms as their interior design branch, which has been very rewarding. There's a mutual appreciation in these types of projects since we're architects ourselves, and this shared understanding makes communication and collaboration a lot easier and on the whole, more effective. This allowed us to work on diverse and large-scale projects, from hotel concepts to residential buildings and family homes. 

We’ve been working on a hotel chain across Europe, which is a completely different level from anything else we’ve done so far. We had the opportunity to visit Salone del Mobile (Milan Design Week), to source furniture to incorporate into our projects, which was a big milestone for us. 

Another notable project was working on the design of ONYX workshop, which received great feedback from our peers in the industry. This project led to numerous nominations and awards, including winning awards at EDIDA and Highlights of Hungary, and we also made it to the shortlist for the Emerging Interior Design Studio of the Year category at the Dezeen Awards in London. This kind of recognition has been deeply rewarding and has firmly established our reputation within the industry.

At the moment, we’re eagerly awaiting the debut of ONYX’s new restaurant space by Vörösmarty Square — it’s a testament to the collaborative efforts of many creatives, who have been working on this transformation for years.

Your interior design projects frequently feature custom-made pieces. What unique challenges do you encounter when incorporating these bespoke elements?

Most of our interior design projects feature custom-made pieces that we design in-house. However, the production and manufacturing process for these items often proves challenging. While we create detailed designs, contractors and manufacturers sometimes interpret them to their own quality standards, which can result in outcomes that don’t fully align with our original vision.

To address this, we’ve started considering taking control of the production process for certain items. Currently, we collaborate with a range of specialists, including mirror artisans, carpenters, and lighting experts, to bring our designs to life. While the process is still in its early stages, we’re actively exploring possibilities to ensure our designs are executed to the highest standards. It’s an ongoing journey of refinement and discovery.

How did your creative journey with rug tufting begin?

Having kids, managing time, and dealing with constantly changing projects have impacted how Marci and I operate. We’ve had to continuously adjust and find ways to separate tasks and work on different projects to benefit us both, and this process coincided with my interest in tufting techniques, particularly rug tufting.

Initially, we had incorporated rugs into a few of our URBA projects, and we ordered rugs for the walls of a permanent makeup salon, but they didn't turn out as expected. As we had tight deadlines, I decided to take on the challenge myself, after taking part in a rug tufting workshop. I bought the materials and started experimenting. It wasn’t easy, but it was such a thrill to create the rugs myself and it quickly became a passion of mine, and I started hosting workshops myself. At first, friends and acquaintances attended the workshops, but it’s grown into a diverse group of people and has become such a rewarding experience. 

Tell us more about the rug-making process.

The ones we make during the workshop are about 60 x 60 cm in size, and participants usually take around five hours to finish them. The ones hanging here, and a few smaller ones, were made early on, and are available for purchase. I’ve since moved on to other ideas, like collaborating with graphic artist Dia Ghyczy on the designs. 

The technique involves using special yarns designed for tufting, but unfortunately, the high consumption of yarn has been frustrating, leading me to experiment to find more sustainable solutions. I began cutting up different textiles and found they could be repurposed effectively, which led me to create my own rugs under rita vizkelety textile. This approach aligns with my broader vision of sustainability and creativity, and I’m excited about the possibility of workshops where participants can bring their old clothes to repurpose! It’s a promising direction that combines creativity, sustainability, and personal expression.

Do you have time for any other hobbies or interests?

While I was at home with the kids, I became interested in self-development, psychology, and mental health. I decided to enroll in a specialized mental health course at the University of Szeged, and I’d like to explore topics focusing on the emotional experiences and challenges faced during creative processes. These past few years have been a journey of self-discovery, but it’s been so nice realizing how all aspects of my life and interests have come together, as I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out what I truly want to do and where my skills can be best utilized. So this is something I’m truly grateful for.

Moving on to everyday life, what does your daily routine look like?

Usually, I take the kids to school in the mornings. We have a 9-year-old and a 6-year-old who just started school, so it's not always the easiest part of the day. Once I’ve dropped them off I’ll either head to the office or sometimes I’ll take part in a site visit or I might have to deal with procurement tasks or meet with people involved in our production processes. My mornings are busy and eventful, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Afterward, Marci and I usually have lunch together, which is a perk of working together. It’s our quality time for just the two of us. In the afternoon, I’ll pick up the kids around 3 or 4 PM, and then we go out for a walk with the dog and spend the rest of the day playing or doing other activities.

What’s in your bag?

Notebook Drawing - This was created by our son Ábris. I always keep a notebook with me, and with each new one I decide it’s going to be strictly for my notes only, but of course, my kids end up drawing in them instead! I love their drawings, but it’s a good representation of what women go through in motherhood.

Book - This was a piece of required reading from the university.

Shells - These symbolize our time spent in nature, especially by the Danube. The kids always collect things, which end up in my bag — stones, twigs, and now shells.

Measuring Tape - The basic tool for any architect.

Perfume - Interestingly, I don’t like shopping for perfume. I also don’t use perfume on a daily basis. This one was a gift, and after smelling it, I realized what a lovely scent it has. It’s interesting how this perfume just came into my life and how well I identify with it.

Rug - This rug was based on a graphic by Dia Ghiczy. Generally, I don’t make illustrative rugs, although I know that the rug tufting technique is often associated with illustrations. This was a one-off piece, as I’m a big fan of Dia's work.

Label - This is the second logo for my rug-making project, and I recently started posting a mini-series on Instagram with the rebranding. I see this project as my playground, a place where I can be free and experimental and I’ve even been changing my name around — it’s where I don't have to be strict, unlike in our architecture projects. I’m still playing around with the visual identity, which was created by URBA’s graphic designer Rebeka Juhász, but at the moment this is the label I use for my rugs available for purchase.

Bag - My previous bag was a small YKRA SIDE POUCH, which I used for carrying my essentials. This new bag will be great for when I want to carry more on a daily basis, including my laptop, and I’m looking forward to using it.

Photo by Botond Wertán