Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design

Stefan Lengyel Designer: The Book

Life and Career

The Book

Projektek

The Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence

Contact

News

“Design is the conscience of the product.” – Stefan Lengyel

One of the most influential figures in both Hungarian and German design, Stefan Lengyel is the designer behind such iconic objects as the ergonomic vacuum cleaner, the modern petrol station, the No. 2 tram, and many others. Now, with a book exploring his legacy, MOME pays homage to his wide-ranging contributions, telling the story of industrial designer Stefan Lengyel (also known as István Lengyel) through captivating stories and imagery.

Authors Dorottya Füzesi, András Húnfalvi, Zsuzsa Kálmán, and Márton Szentpéteri spent months gathering and compiling materials, conducting personal interviews with Lengyel and his colleagues, and carrying out on-site and archival research to document the history of his designs and life. The book’s visual world is shaped by historical photographs, images by Máté Lakos, and book design by Luca Patkós. Lengyel’s career offers valuable lessons, with a legacy encompassing not just his objects, but also his outlook, determination, and courage.

Life and Career

How did a boy from Pesterzsébet become an industrial designer who made his way beyond the Iron Curtain to Essen, later transforming the local design school into a hub of German design education? How did his personal life unfold as his years in Essen gradually drove him further and further away from Hungary – until, in 2009, he eventually returned to his alma mater, MOME’s Product Design Department, to teach and mentor the next generation, and lay the foundations for today’s Mobility Lab? This and much more is explored in the chapter chronicling Lengyel’s life, filled with personal anecdotes.

The Book

Stefan Lengyel Designer

If you would like to purchase a print copy of the book, please contact our team at brand@mome.hu and we will assist you with the ordering process and arrange shipping.

Projektek

The Bengáli

Ganz CSMG Articulated Tram

Stair-Climbing Pram

Liesegang Projector

Monpti Typewriter

Arlac Phone Register

News

The winners of the eighth Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence

Once again, the works of this year's Stefan Lengyel scholarship recipients demonstrate a strong focus on social sensitivity and unlocking the potential in the intersection of technology and art. The winning projects include an elderly care application, various educational games, innovative architectural concepts, and a project that uses drones as musical instruments. This marks the eighth edition of the Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence, awarded by the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, to recognise the most exceptional students for their work.

A legacy of courage in addition to great designs

One of the most influential figures in both Hungarian and German design, Stefan Lengyel is the designer behind such iconic objects as the ergonomic vacuum cleaner, the modern petrol station, the No. 2 tram, and many others. Now, with a new book exploring his legacy, MOME pays homage to his wide-ranging contributions, telling the story of industrial designer Stefan Lengyel (also known as István Lengyel) through captivating stories and imagery.

Shared Visions in Design: Exhibition of projects by MOME’s Stefan Lengyel scholarship recipients

The exhibition features a diverse range of projects, including a pencil sharpener for children, a hearing aid reimagined as jewellery, an AI-powered knitting machine, an IoT system designed to ensure the health and safety of residents, as well as several urban revitalisation projects – all created by this year's winners of the Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence. Entitled Sequences of Ideas: Shared Visions in Design, this third opportunity for the scholarship recipients to debut their works invites the public to engage through an interactive concept. The installation itself echoes the central themes, utilising recycled materials, local production methods, and modular components.

The latest winners of the Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence have been announced

Once again, the Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence has been awarded to talented MOME students to recognise their outstanding achievements. The winning projects of the 2023/2024 spring semester feature a range of experimental works that addresses current social issues, spanning from video games to research, architectural revitalisation projects, and developmental tools for children.

The winners of this year’s Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence have been announced

Winning projects include a hearing aid doubling as jewellery, a narrative video game, multimedia visuals, and several revitalisation projects. The certificates were presented personally by the eponym of the scholarship, world-renowned product designer and MOME Professor Emeritus Stefan Lengyel at the awards ceremony, which was a great honour to both the scholarship recipients and the university staff. The sixteen students will receive the scholarship for a period of 5 months to work on further elaborating their concepts.

MOME rewards its outstanding students: the 5th Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence award ceremony

Adaptive reuse, transhumanism, and the endangered status of bees are some of the subjects explored by the winning projects of the latest Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence. The winners of the Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence for the the spring semester of the 2022/23 academic year were announced on 29 June at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design.

The winners of the Stefan Lengyel Excellence Scholarship has been announced

For the third time, the performance-based financial and professional support was awarded to 16 exceptionally talented MOME students. The winners will receive a monthly grant of HUF 150,000 for one semester and gain valuable, hands-on and competitive knowledge with the help of our partners the Market Építő Zrt., Be Light! and the Hungarian Fashion and Design Agency.

Alpha-sensitive podcast. Zsófia Fehér’s diploma project springs from a Stefan Lengyel Excellence Scholarship research

Zsófia Fehér is graduating from MOME’s Art and Design Management MA in 2022. In autumn 2021 she won the university’s Stefan Lengyel Excellence Scholarship with her project The Importance of Social Awareness Raising.

The RDI courses offered within the Stefan Lengyel Excellence Scholarship are continued this year too.

Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design (MOME) continued its professional collaboration, launched in spring 2021 in the form of the research, development and innovation (RDI) course MOME x BE LIGHT!

The Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence

Launched in autumn 2020 by the Foundation for Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, the Stefan Lengyel Scholarship of Excellence programme is designed to recognise students who bring outstanding ideas to life through their semester projects, tackling contemporary design challenges with innovative, critical, and socially responsible approaches. To date, the programme has offered performance-based financial and professional support to 112 students.

Learn more

Contact

Brand Office

Address

1121 Budapest, Zugligeti út 9-25.

E-mail

brand@mome.hu