News

12th District selects World War II memorial The symbolism of scarcity and hope – are the words used by the judges to describe the winning design of the World War II memorial planned for the 12th District. The sculpture will be built alongside the Varosmajori Church and has been designed to remember the district residents that lost their lives in the conflict.

Csömöri overpass to be completed in 2021 The modernisation of the Csömöri út overpass is to be completed this year. During the construction of the overpass connecting Csömöri Road and Drégelyvár Street in Újpalota, steel supports will be installed until the end of May to strengthen the bridge. The damaged concrete structures will be repaired by mid-summer, and traffic will return to the bridge by the end of December.

Parks around Rákos Stream in Zugló to be renovated The banks of Rákos Stream in the 14th District will be transformed into a park in three stages. Work is already underway, and the first 400-metre section between Egressy Road and Bartl János Street has already been opened. The entire project will be completed by the autumn. Plenty of trees and shrubs will be planted in the new areas, and plenty of benches will be installed, on sun terraces, alongside playgrounds, drinking fountains. Public lighting will be solar-powered.

Church Renovation programme to begin Before easter, the government announced a major church renovation programme: 25.7 billion HUF was reallocated to renovate the churches.

Pest Embankments revisited: Promenade planned from Kossuth Square to Bálna – Széchenyi Square to be redesigned An agreement detailing the renovation of the Pest Embankment has been signed by representatives of the Government and the capital. According to the plans, a new promenade and green areas will be created from Kossuth Lajos Square to the Bálna, the roundabout on Széchenyi Square will be removed, the tracks of tram line 2 and Közraktár Street will also be renewed.

Zsolnay fireplace of Szent Stephen's Hall to be installed soon One of the most beautiful ornaments of the first reconstructed historical hall of Buda Castle will be the more than 2.5 meters wide and 4.5 meters high ceramic fireplace, made by the Zsolnay Porcelain Manufactory in Pécs. Experts worked on the reconstruction of a masterpiece for five years. The fireplace is made up of 611 pieces, for which nearly a kilogram of 24-carat gold was used. The reborn Saint Stephen's Hall will be opened to the public on 20 August.

Construction of passenger centre in Keleti Railway Station begins The construction of the passenger centre in the 137-year-old Keleti Railway Station, which serves nearly 11 million passengers a year, has begun. The development will greatly increase passenger comfort, bring international and domestic ticket sales into the same hall, while new escalators and lifts will make the centre easily accessible.

Educational canopy trail planned for Normafa An educational canopy trail has been planned for Normafa. To be built on the former Sport Hotel site, the trail will have space for 150 visitors and focus on conservation education. The study trail will begin at ground level and climb above the tree canopy to offer a stunning view of Budapest.

Pest Embankment opened to pedestrians again Once again, the Pest Embankment will be closed to traffic on weekends between Margit Bridge and Közraktár Street. Only pedestrians and cyclists will be allowed in the area.

Sándor Márai Cultural Centre completed in the former Buda Civic Casino on Krisztina tér The new cultural and community centre of the 1st District, the Sándor Márai Cultural Centre, was opened on 22 March in the newly renovated building of the former Buda Civic Casino at 1 Krisztina Square.

Design renders for renovation of Ministry of Agriculture released The renovation of the Ministry of Agriculture's Kossuth Square building will begin in the summer. The design renders newly published show that the Neo-Renaissance facades will be restored to their original beauty. The previously closed central courtyard will be opened to visitors. Gyula Bukovics designed the palace, and its construction began in 1885, the same year in which construction of the Parliament building on the other side of the square but was completed fifteen years earlier, in 1887.

Planning of M2 metro and Gödöllő Suburban railway connection begins Planning of the connection of Metro line 2 and the suburban railway to Gödöllő can begin after the government decided to provide the necessary funding. Construction plans for the reconstruction of the suburban railway line and the renovation of affected stations can begin. Renders of key elements of the plans have also been published. The metro and suburban railway tracks will be connected above ground on Örs vezér square.

Rondo to be restored amid continuing works in City Park Városliget Promenade will be rebuilt. The Rondo, the historical entrance of City Park, will be restored, and a new part of the park will be created between the House of Hungarian Music and the new Museum of Ethnography. Almost 80,000 square metres of green space will be renewed, and 200 new deciduous trees planted by the spring of 2022. In addition, hot air balloons will once again rise from Mimóza Hill in City Park.

Sipeki Balás Villa to be restored on Hermina Road The Art Nouveau Sipeki Balás Villa, built between 1905 and 1907, currently the headquarters of the Hungarian National Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired, is to be fully restored. The listed building, designed by Ödön Lechner, will be renovated under supervision for HUF 1.94 billion. The wing attached to it in the 1970s will be demolished and replaced with a new wing.

Buildings of former BM Hospital on Bajza Street demolished The buildings' demolition on the plot on the corner of Bajza Street and Városligeti Avenue is in full swing. The building complex was closed in 2007. New buildings for the Hungarian Museum of Architecture and Monument Protection Documentation Centre will be constructed on the plot.

Jumping to the present: Újbuda renovated 12 000 square metres of Parks A large 12 000 square metre park has been created among the tower blocks built in Újbuda in the 1970s. Sprawling between Tétényi Road and Fejér Lipót Street, the park includes renovated sports fields and courts, walkways, new ping pong tables and rest stops.

Government and Budapest City Council agree on major development plans The government plans to provide 3000 Billion HUF in additional funding towards healthcare and transportation development and environmental protection initiatives, according to plans laid out by the Government Commissioner for the Development of Budapest. According to an agreement reached on Thursday, the government will finance three projects: the renewal of the Pest embankment, the southern extension of the Buda intertwining tram, and the renovation of the Kelenföld bus station with the creation of a new 1,500-place P+R car park.

Playground and outdoor gym being built on Nagyrét The development of Nagyrét in Hűvösvölgy continues: a thematic playground and an outdoor gym will be built on one of the most popular greens in Budapest by the end of April. The playground, designed by sculptors, will evoke the indigenous fauna and flora of the forest. Work will begin later this week.

Petőfi Literary Agency gifted House of Hungarian Writers, Óbuda Shipyard and Zichy Palace The Petőfi Literary Agency, a subsidiary of the Petőfi Literary Museum, will be gifted several state-owned buildings in Budapest. According to plans, a pop culture and related arts centre will be created in the facilities of the Óbuda Shipyard and Zichy Castle by 2025.

Pavements closed – Renovation of Chain Bridge begins Chain Bridge will be closed to pedestrians from 17 March, and walking across the bridge will be forbidden until work is completed in 2023. The pavements have been closed as part of preparatory steps before the renovation begins. Motorists can use the bridge until mid-June.

Building of Rác Bath up for auction Although the renovation of the Rác Bath complex was completed in 2010, it has never reopened due to protracted legal and financial disputes. Now the building's condition has deteriorated so much that it needs to be renovated again. The building – owned by Rác Nosztalgia Kft., which is under liquidation – will now be put up for auction together with the hotel connected to it for 5.1 billion HUF.

Statue of Pál Vasvári erected in the garden of the National Museum Pál Vasvári was a leading figure in the Youths of March and played an important role in wording the 12 points. As one of the heroes of the War of Independence, he fell in battle in 1849, living only 23 years. A bust in his honour was unveiled in the garden of the National Museum on Saturday.

Renovation of Chain Bridge begins On 17 March, the pedestrian pavements on Chain Bridge will be closed as the renovation begins.

Planning of new tramway for Southern Danube Bridge begins The tramline for the future Galvani Bridge is being planned. The new, two-track, four-kilometre tramway will run from Fehérvári Road in Buda across the new Danube bridge and North Csepel, and over the new Ráckeve-Danube bridge to Gubacsi Road in Pest.

Iconic Bálna in Budapest to be renovated Budapest's iconic building, Bálna or the Whale, which has defined the Danube-banks for years, is to be renovated. The structural renovation will see key materials replaced with modern counterparts, but the exterior will not change. Bálna will also receive decorative lighting.

Signposts on the road – Unique installations uncover the details of Wekerletelep Walking along the 1.6-kilometre path of the 10 signposts in Wekereletelep allows visitors to dive into the listed area's history. Looking through the peep-holes on the steel and wood posts highlights small but important details of the area.

Magdolna Udvar completed – Cultural institution opens in old Budafok town hall The new cultural institution in Budafok will house a local history museum and several exhibition spaces. A café will open in the inner courtyard, the new Atrium. One of the rooms in the former town hall building will be a so-called visual warehouse, in which objects can be taken in hand.

The story of four hundred graves – Archaeological excavation on Margit Boulevard comes to an end The excavation on a plot at the corner of Margit Boulevard and Rómer Flóris Street has been completed. Archaeologists uncovered many Bronze Age and Roman items and artefacts from the Ottoman Period, as well as four hundred graves.

Hotel to open in Drechsler Palace – Ödön Lechner's masterpiece reborn Standing opposite the Opera House, at 25 Andrássy Avenue, the French Renaissance-style Drechsler Palace is to be renovated as a five-star hotel. The remodelling of the building, designed by Ödön Lechner and Gyula Pártos, will include a loft conversion. The owners have promised that the listed historical monument will be restored to its former glory.