As we wrote last November, the management of the capital issued a plan for the renovation of the Town Hall Park in the 5th district. A total of 19 applications were received for the design competition. The results of the tender were announced on 29 April, according to a announcement published on the official website of the investment.

The design competition was won by the project of the Scale-Plan Landscape Architect's Office. It was stated at the solemn announcement of the results that the project focuses on the green surface, is organically connected to the adjacent spaces, preserves the existing trees, and also meets the requirements for the storage and use of rainwater.

Town Hall Park will not only be a new landscaped area, but also a new cultural space with the renovation of the Merlin building, the new exhibition space of the Budapest Gallery and the opening of the ground floor of the Town Hall (Photo: varoshazapark.budapest.hu)

As they write, in the design competition announced in the fall of 2021, the leadership of the capital set three main goals. According to them, the Town Hall Park must be the “green main square of Budapest”, for this purpose 8,000 square meters of new green space will be created, afforested and collected, and rainwater will be utilized locally. The second aspect sets out the principle of an “open Town Hall”, according to which the City Hall hosts commemorations, social and political events, and opens the ground floor of the building to cultural, community goals and clientele. Finally, the third goal is to make the new park a meeting place for the capital. According to this, in addition to the occasional events, the new exhibition space of the Budapest Gallery, the renovation of the former Merlin Theater and the opening of the ground floor of the Town Hall will create a new cultural and community space in the heart of the capital.

The 1st place in the design competition was won by the application of the Scale-Plan Landscape Architect's Office (Photo: varoshazapark.budapest.hu)

Where the parking lot of the Town Hall used to be, there will be a landscaped space in the future (Photo: varoshazapark.budapest.hu)

 

Many new trees will be planted in the Town Hall Park (Photo: varoshazapark.budapest.hu)

The second prize of the design competition was awarded to CAN Architects Studio + Újírány Tájépítész Kft. Two more entries were won: one by Tamás Csépke and Zoltán Skrabák, the other by BKM Nonprofit Zrt. + KIMA Studio Kft.

Summary picture of the renovation of the Town Hall and its surroundings: in addition to the park, the Town Hall building and the Merlin Theater will also be renovated, and the Budapest Gallery will move to the ground floor of the Gerlóczy Street wing (Photo: varoshazapark.budapest.hu)

Work is scheduled to begin in 2023, and Town Hall Park is expected to be renewed by 2024. The renovation of the facade of the Town Hall (which started in February this year), the renovation of the Merlin Theater building and the opening of the new exhibition hall of the Budapest Gallery in the Town Hall building are expected to be completed by then.

Source: varohazapark.budapest.hu

Cover photo: The Town Hall Park is being renewed (Photo: varohazapark.budapest.hu)