Architecture

Educational institution from asylum - The transformation of the former mental hospital in Lipótmező is about to begin The Lipótmező mental hospital was once considered one of the best psychiatric institutes in the country. The institution, officially called the National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, was closed in 2007. It was decided two years ago that an educational institution would be built in the huge building complex. The associated remodeling and refurbishment work will begin soon as the development was declared a priority investment by the government on Tuesday.

One of the first Hungarian machine factories operated in Lipótváros One of the first machine factories in Pest practically operated as a subsidiary of the József Rolling Mill, and for economic reasons it became an independent factory, which then became one of the first machine factories in Hungarian industry 175 years ago. Unfortunately, it was not long-lived, but its impact was significant.

The former Downtown Café in the South Klotild Palace has regained its original splendor After decades of oblivion, the former Downtown Café will open under the name Matild Café & Cabaret on 19 May at the South Klotild Palace. The two-storey, 300-seat café has been restored based on contemporary drawings and photographs.

Budapest's air gate - This is how Ferihegy Airport expanded 25 years ago The air gate of Budapest is Liszt Ferenc International Airport. In common parlance, the history of the airport, also called Ferihegy Airport after its old name, is very adventurous, as it was planned before the war, but only handed over afterwards. There have been several significant changes in the life of the airport since then, such as the construction of Terminal 2B, which had just begun 25 years ago.

The Reformed University is moving into the former BÁV headquarters The Károli Gáspár Reformed University is moving into the former BÁV headquarters in Ferencváros. According to the idea, the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the University, the Institute of Psychology and the Rector's Office would serve as the new home of the 11th district historic building. The goal is to develop the university and create a modern educational environment.

Hungarian spirit - The Renaissance inspired Pesterzsébet's special school building The characteristic building of the Lázár Vilmos Elementary School in Pesterzsébet easily attracts attention. Although it is quite out of the capital's flow due to its location, it is closely connected to the high architectural culture of Budapest due to its designer: this is also the work of Jenő Lechner, the designer of the Vienna Gate in Buda Castle and the Jókai Tomb, who finalised the plans on 11 April 1916, exactly 106 years ago.

Construction of the Artist Training Institute next to the Western Railway Station may begin soon The new center of the Artist Training Institute has received the building permit. The building will be realized as part of the National Circus Arts Center, planned for part of the rust zone next to the Western Railway Station, by rebuilding and expanding a former diesel locomotive repair hall.

The renovation of the external facade of the Kútvölgyi Hospital has been completed The exterior facade of the Kútvölgyi Hospital was renewed, the doors and windows of the tower building were replaced, and the cooling and heating system was also modernized. At the same time, internal renovation work is already underway.

The renovation of Walter Rózsi Villa has been completed In the modernist villa of the district, Walter Rózsi and his family lived first, and then it became the kindergarten and pediatrician's office of the BM Hospital. It was Designed by József Fischer. The newly renovated building has opened as a new exhibition space of the Hungarian Museum of Architecture and the Monument Protection Documentation Center.

The Chapel of the Holy Blood in Óbuda has been renovated The more than two-hundred-year-old Chapel of the Holy Blood in Kiscell has been renovated. Among other things, the building received a new roof structure, a tower and modern lighting, and the chapel was enriched with a new altarpiece and statues, the gate of which can be seen through the newly opened openings even if it is closed.

Not only spaces, but also ages are connected by the reborn Hauszmann ramp in the Csikós courtyard One of the newest buildings of the Buda Castle connects the Hunyadi courtyard with the Csikós courtyard, starting next to the Royal Guard. Walking along the Hauszmann ramp that is the same as the original, we can not only admire the panorama of Krisztinaváros, but also discover exciting details: the walls of the building preserve the memories of several eras.

Valuable finds were discovered during the research in the Buda Castle Special finds were found during the wall research and basic excavation of the Buda Castle Palace. The fragments, walls and tiles that have just been unearthed are significant because they can help determine exactly what the palace, which was enlarged at the turn of the last century, was based on the plans of Alajos Hauszmann, looked like.

The new buildings of the Salesian order in Óbuda were handed over The new oratory of the Salesian order and the building of the provincial headquarters in Óbuda were handed over. The oratorio will function as a kind of community space.

Stunning interiors - PestBuda visited the renovated Postal Palace The best-known building of Széll Kálmán Square is the former Buda Postal Palace, which has been dignified over the area since its handover in 1926. Hungarian Post (Magyar Posta) moved out of it in 2008, so it was empty for many years, it only found a customer in 2016. It was transferred to the Hungarian National Bank in 2018, and thanks to the reconstruction that began at that time, the building was reborn as the HNB Supervisory Centre and Money Museum. Huge changes have taken place, but they have been carried out with careful attention, and the interiors have been renewed in a way that also reflects the original states. PestBuda toured the renovated building.

The House of Hungarian Music received the Oscar for the real estate industry The House of Hungarian Music won the main prize this year at the Cannes exhibition, also known as the "Real Estate Oscar". For the first time, the Hungarian development received the grand prize of the jury with the special building in the city park handed over at the end of January this year.

A pharmacy was opened in the Inner City of Pest more than three hundred years ago On the plot of the corner building at 32 Váci Street - 2 Kígyó Street after the Turkish occupation the first public pharmacy in Pest, the Szentháromság [Holy Trinity] pharmacy operated. Its builder and owner was the pharmacist, Heinrich Siegfried Herold. The plot is well-located and has housed a number of shops and high-ranked tenants in recent centuries since the pharmacy moved out: the fabric store addressed to the Green tree [a Zöld fához in Hungarian], the sign of which was painted by Miklós Barabás, and a bookshop of the famous bookseller family, the Kiliáns where also housed here. The building, which is still in a very dilapidated condition, is under the district's unique protection and is a prominent archaeological site.

A new sports hall was added to the Cistercian St. Imre High School in Buda The new gymnasium of the Cistercian St. Imre Gymnasium in Buda was handed over. The 3,700-square-foot new hall is connected by a glass corridor to the neo-baroque building of the grammar school, built in 1929.

Flowery housing estate from the world of deep poverty - The former emergency houses of Marie Valerie housing estate were demolished 65 years ago The József Attila housing estate is one of the districts of Budapest with the most green areas, trees and bushes, in 2012 it even won the title of the most flowering housing estate in the country. However, fewer and fewer people here know that there was a time when this area was not known for its comfort. Its name was also different, which in itself revealed a lot about the conditions here: Marie Valerie emergency housing estate.

The country’s largest flag was hoisted at the Renewing Citadel On 15 March, the largest national flag of Hungary was hoisted on the Citadel, which is under renovation. The 72-square-foot flag will adorn the capital’s iconic building day and night.

Renovation of the Whale has begun The capital's iconic building, the Whale, is being renovated. As part of the complex reconstruction of the building, the main and outbuildings will be renovated and the damaged glass elements will be replaced. The new decorative lighting has already been completed, so the house will be in national colors on the occasion of 15 March.

The renovation of the building of the Hungarian National Archives in Óbuda may begin soon Development of the Archive's Lángliliom Street warehouse and research room may begin soon. As part of the investment, the building will not only be renovated but also expanded, and the above-ground warehouses equipped with state-of-the-art equipment will be able to store the documents in an appropriate manner and will also have the opportunity to research them.

After almost 5 years, the renovated Opera House opens its doors today Restoration work began in the building of the Hungarian State Opera in October 2017. The renovation, which lasted for almost 5 years, not only serves to further illuminate one of the architectural gems of Budapest, but it also represents the basic requirements of the 21th century. The history of the construction of the Opera House also proves that these requirements have changed from time to time.

Gold Bars in the deep - The Money Museum opens in the Buda Palace on 15 March One of the most famous buildings of Széll Kálmán Square, the former Buda Postal Palace, has undergone huge changes in recent years. It was purchased by the Hungarian National Bank and began its renovation in 2018. Its exterior has been restored to its golden age, while its interiors have been modernised to accommodate its new functions: most of it has been occupied by the bank's supervisory centre, and the Money Museum was installed in the north wing, which will open on 15 March. However, it was already shown to the press, where Pestbuda could also report from.

Its construction has caused controversy, today it is one of the most elegant parts of the capital - the Andrássy Avenue One hundred and fifty years ago, on 9 March 1872, the contract was signed, with which the construction of the representative avenue of Pest, Andrássy Avenue, could actually begin. The design of the route strongly divided the public, with many seeing it as a luxury investment serving the needs of the aristocracy. Soon after its opening, it became clear that the result went beyond all gentlemanly whims: it was one of the most important urban development enterprises of the second half of the 19th century.

An impressively rich oeuvre of an architect - József Hild died 155 years ago One of the most famous figures of Hungary in the 16th century was József Hild. He fully deserved his reputation, as the cityscape of Pest, which was booming, was largely determined by his work. However, the unbroken development also caused the destruction of most of his works: many of his inner city buildings were demolished to give way to newer and bigger ones. Fortunately, some of his buildings still stand today and promote the talent of their designer.

The newest bridge in Budapest - An arched footbridge will connect Csepel with Pest The special pedestrian bridge is already under construction in Budapest, which, starting from the athletic stadium of the 9th District, will finally connect the Csepel Island peak to the city's circulation. The structure will connect the island with the Pest side with an arched road, and its recently erected pylon reaches a height of 65 metres.

Witness of the Turkish Era - The renovation of the Király Bath is still pending One of the most emblematic surviving buildings of the Turkish era in Budapest, the Király Bath, which is still closed, has been awaiting renovation for some time. Renovation work has not yet begun, although a call for ideas was launched in 2017 and the best design was selected, but the actual conversion work will take some time. The building was last completely renovated in the 1950s. Since then, there have been more or less restoration works, but today we find the bath in a very bad condition, the history of which dates back to the time of the Turkish occupation.

Kindergarten in Rákospalota, built on the site of a former church The new kindergarten was built on the site of a Reformed church in the Old Town and the associated former school, which was demolished at the beginning of the 19th century. The new institution will receive children from September.

Renovation of the interiors of the Hunyadi Square fairgrounds may begin next year After the external reconstruction, which was completed a few years ago, the renovation of the interiors of the Hunyadi Square fair hall, designed by Czigler Győző, can begin next year. During the works, the subsequent additions will be demolished and the original spatial structure will be restored, a gallery level will be built, but the previously planned underground garage has been removed from the plans.