A public procurement procedure was announced for the partial renovation of the Károlyi Palace (16th district, Károlyi street 16), the seat of the Petőfi Literary Museum (PIM), and for the accessibility of the museum's exhibition spaces. The ground floor of the listed building will be restored on 719.86 square meters and the first floor on 1010.48 square meters.

The work will focus on three areas, with the aim of improving public traffic, creating new exhibition areas (renovating existing ones) and making the institution accessible. During the improvement of public traffic, the gate will be restored and street communication surfaces will be created in connection with it. After the opening of the cash register, cloakroom and opening covers, the spatial structure before the 2000 renovation is restored. 

The interiors of Károlyi Palace will be restored (photo: pim.hu)

It is also planned to restore an existing opening in the side wall of the decorative staircase and to open a corridor during the rest of the decorative staircase. The works will include the renovation of the first floor exhibition areas, the creation of new spaces by demolishing partitions, and the demolition of existing floor and wall coverings not included in the inventory.

During the obstacle course, an 8-person wheelchair lift will be installed in the built-in courtyard. By lowering the floor, the areas in front of the lift - cloakroom, water block - will be at the same height as the floor level of the arcade. The interior design elements and partition wall, built in the 2000s, are being demolished, restoring the former opening between the shop and the exhibition space.

The hall of the building (photo: pim.hu)

A new opening is cut, opening the space under the rest of the decorative stairs from the corridor. The opening between the decorative staircase and the water block will also be restored before the 2000 renovation. The partitions in the washrooms from the 2000s will also be removed, creating a new wall opening between the cloakroom and the water blocks.

The plot of the palace became the property of the Károlyi family in 1768. The classicist-style building known today is due to György Károlyi, who expanded and modernized the baroque palace of his family, with a main staircase, modern stables and a library room. According to the PIM website, Anton Pius Riegel first asked the Viennese architect for the remodeling, but was not satisfied with it, so at the end of 1833 he entrusted the task to Heinrich Koch. The management of the construction was finally completed by Mihály Pollack. 

The main facade of the Károlyi Palace around 1900 (photo: pim.hu)

Károlyi Mihály modernized the palace at the beginning of the 19th century, which the capital had purchased in 1928, and housed the collection of the Metropolitan Gallery here. The southern wing was born between 1935 and 1938 according to the plan of Gyula Wälder.

The Metropolitan Gallery was closed in 1953, and its collection was attached to the material of the Museum of Fine Arts. The Petőfi Literary Museum moved into the building in 1957. The palace was completely renovated by 2000. At that time, five rooms from the ornate row of rooms in the main wing retained their original design. 

The Petőfi Literary Museum has not welcomed visitors since January. According to them, the works will last until the fall of 2022, when the museum will reopen its doors.

Source: Public Procurement Notice, pim.hu.

Cover photo: the interiors of the Károlyi Palace will be renewed by the autumn of 2022 (photo: pim.hu)