A public procurement procedure was announced for the renovation and expansion of the Ágoston Trefort Gymnasium , Eötvös Loránd University. During the works, the complete reconstruction of the building on the corner of Szentkirályi street and Trefort street is expected, architectural, structural, interior design, but also mechanical, high and low current installation works and demolition will be carried out. They will also expand the property, create a hall, install an elevator and new kitchen technology.

The Trefort Street Gymnasium was completed in 1887 (Photo: elte.hu)

The program implemented in the investment of the Investment Agency BMSK Zrt. Will take place in two stages. The first section concerns the building at 7 Szentkirályi street and the second at 9 Szentkirályi street (Trefort utca 6-8). The works cover a useful area of approximately 8,551.13 square meters.

The Trefort street high school (once Őszutcai Sample High School) was designed by John Bobula (linked to his name, among other 4 Brody Sandor Street, 68 Andrássy road, 11 Eötvös street, 27 and 29 Bajcsy Zsilinszky) after Ágoston Trefort was commissioned by the Minister of Religion and Public Education.

Candidates for teacher in the physics library in 1906. There is a physics laboratory in the room today (Photo: trefort.elte.hu)

The two-story eclectic corner house was completed in 1886-87, and teaching began in October 1887 (as it was then commonly known) at the Model High School. The goal of the institution was to prepare prospective high school teachers. For example, nuclear physicist Ede Teller studied here. The Vágó architect brothers expanded the building in 1908, and in the 1960s the leadership of the capital raised another level on it. The school took the name of Ágoston Trefort in 1991.

Most of the ground floor rooms were given to the Public Education Council after their completion, and the actual school was on the first and second floors with classrooms. The principal's apartment was also located on the ground floor. We know from the website of the grammar school that according to the original blueprints, the house had several courtyard entrances, these no longer exist today.

The building was extended by one level in the 1960s, the two-storey school can still be seen here (Photo: elte.trefort.hu)

There were two classrooms on the first floor, where the mineralogy, botany and natural history ceremonies were arranged. Interestingly, there were sculpture booths in the mezzanine stairwell according to the blueprints. The sculpture cabin that still exists in the staircase can also be discovered on the original design document. There were also two classrooms on the second floor. The four rooms proved to be sufficient, as until 1906 four classes were enrolled in the otherwise eight-grade practice school.

Another large-scale public school renovation investment is expected on the Eötvös Loránd University campuses, as we reported , for the design and general construction of the ELTE Trefort Garden campus at 9 Puskin Street. 

 Contractors are invited to apply for the works of the training grammar school until 31 January, 2022.

Cover photo: Public procurement for the renovation and expansion of the eclectic school building was announced (Photo: Kozics Júlia / pestbuda.hu)