The building complex of the Eötvös Loránd University on Kecskemét Street will soon be renovated, and its facade will be thermally insulated - according to the European Union's Public Procurement Notice, in which the name of the contractor carrying out the works was announced. 

The renovation of the facade of the building complex under no. Kecskemét street 10–12. and Magyar street 31–33 has started. On the Kecskemét street side, the paving slabs are replaced with kiln limestone on 900 square meters, and thermal insulation sheets are attached underneath. The Magyar Street wing will also be insulated against soil moisture.

The headquarters of Közti on the corner of Kecskeméti street and Magyar street in 1954 (Photo: Fortepan/Image number: 91976)

This building of the university is located on a plot with a long history. On Today's Kecskemét street 10–12 was the one-story baroque Csekonics palace. The flood of 1838 caused significant damage to the building, so it had to be completely rebuilt, and at that time the building's walking level was also raised. Between 1893 and 1895, according to Arthúr Meinig's plans, large-scale renovations were carried out again, this time on behalf of the heir, Endre Csekonics. On the Kecskeméti street side, the neighboring lot was also annexed to the estate, and a huge, 18-axis, two-story palace was built on a double lot, to which the rear wing on Magyar street still belonged.

Baron Csekonics not only wanted to show his wealth with the large and ornate main facade of the palace, but he also decorated the salons luxuriously in order to create suitable conditions for a social life worthy of his rank with the representative spaces of the building.

The building in 1943 as the headquarters of the Accident Insurance Department of the National Social Insurance Institute

But between the two wars, prosperity was followed by decline. The palace became the headquarters of the National Social Insurance Institute (OTI) in 1941, the reconstruction according to the new function was carried out according to the plans of Henrik Kotál, and the Accident Insurance Department of the OTI moved into the building. The II. During the Second World War, the building on Kecskemét Street was largely destroyed, and the headquarters of the Közéületzórző Vállalat (Közti) was built in its place according to Payr Egon's plans around 1950. The rear wing on Magyar street was less damaged and was rebuilt later.

The building complex is currently the B building of the ELTE Faculty of Government and Law, and its renovation will begin soon. 

Source: ted.europa.eu, pestbuda.hu

Cover photo: Building B of the ELTE Faculty of State and Law in Kecskemét Street (Photo: Both Balázs/pestbuda.hu)